Finding Forever
by queenybee
Summary: AU: What if not everyone made it back from getting captured by the Zentraedi
1. Chapter 1

A lone, tall, figure stood in contemplation in front of the big bay window. His standing and ranking clear to anyone who came upon him, with his long, black, tailed coat with gold epaulets and gold closures on the front, partially covering the deep red of his shirt. His hair, still dark, even through all the years of fighting and survival, gave him a rakish air that most women found attractive, but his serious demeanor and semi permanent scowl, kept them from lingering in his presence. Picking up a crystal tumbler on the small table beside him, he slowly took a sip, savoring the rich flavor of the warm amber liquid as it slid down his throat, it's smell comforting him, reminding him of home.

The fine brandy was a parting gift from the Admiral, presented to him the night before the SDF-3 also known as the Megaroad departed Earth two years earlier. The brandy, especially rare, as it was distilled before Dolza's crippling attack on the Earth was only discovered shortly before the Megaroad's departure. He didn't know how the Admiral was able to get his hands on a bottle, and at the time he received it, he did not feel as if he deserved it, but standing here in his ready room, contemplating their next steps forward, he appreciated the fine gift.

The ship, her forward movements almost imperceptible, hurdled through the dark, black inkiness of space. The mission, to find the home of the Robotech Masters, was a daunting challenge, using knowledge gleaned from their now Zentraedi allies and the echoing footprints of the Zentraedi fold particles to trace the way back to the Zentraedi planet of origin.

Each time sensors were able to pick up fold particles, the navigation team plotted the next course to jump to. There was always a risk of running into the unknown, whether it be a Zentraedi fleet that had no knowledge of Dolza's defeat or making contact with another unknown species that Breetai and Exedore had briefed them on. It would be another two days before the Megaroad made the next leap forward, taking him, the 20,000 military personnel and almost 80,000 civilians on board further into the depths of the universe.

While the mission was to find the home of the Robotech Masters, the secondary mission, almost more critical, was to find hospitable and habitable planets that human and Zentraedi could colonize. Never knowing when or whom may attack the Earth in the future, in order to guarantee the future of the human race, new colonies needed to be formed.

The Megaroad was in fact a colony ship, heavily armed, but also flanked by 12 Zentraedi battle cruisers, refactored to not resemble the original Zentraedi battle cruisers. It's drive signatures remained the same but the Earth leaders had hoped that changing the original form factor of the ships would give them a chance when meeting new species and not being immediately labeled as a Zentraedi threat. A low beep was heard and without turning from his view of the vastness of space, he granted entrance, knowing that there was decisions that needed to be made.

"Hey, Captain," a jovial voice called out to him from the sliding doors that had opened at his verbal command. The footsteps came closer and stopped next to him, his guest not saying anything more, waiting for his Captain to speak.

Looking at the reflection of his guest in the big bay window, a small smile graced his lips, before turning to his blue haired friend and giving him a nod, "Captain Sterling, to what do I owe this honor?"

Max Sterling, noted the drink in his friend's hand and looked at him contemplatively before responding. "Y'know Rick, if you need to talk..."

Rick gave a slight negative shake to his head, "It's nothing more than it ever is Max. Why or how the UEG thought that I should be the one to lead this expedition, it's madness! What was I thinking at the time, agreeing to it?!"

Trying to put back a sense of calm and reason into his head, Max protested, "Rick, you go through this every time we are about to make a fold. This isn't just on you, everyone who agreed to go on this mission, knew the risks and we were all willing to go for the sake of humanity. I'll admit that they do have strong faith in you as a leader to make the best decision you can, but you need to remember, we've already found one or two planets outside our solar system that are being further evaluated for colonization. If it all goes down from here, there is a good chance the human race will have a chance for survival."

Max's voice calmed, "Rick you need to relax a little bit, take a night off, we can go into the city and hit up one of the arcades like we used to. They have this new flight simulator game that really feels like you are flying the Veritech's in space. It is really amazing, you have to try it! I can ask Miriya, I don't think she would mind if I missed..."

Rick put his hand on his friend's shoulder to stop him from continuing, "Thanks Max, maybe after this next fold is over. You're right, I am overly stressed about it, but I'm sure I will be fine after we make the jump and start working on coordinates for the next. Tell Miriya, I said "hi". "

Max sensing that his friend just wanted to be alone, backed off. "Sure thing Rick, and oh, I just wanted to tell you that the squads are all ready for the fold. They are on lockdown til after the fold, we wouldn't want anyone to get caught up or left behind. "

Rick nodded his thanks and felt relieved when Max exited his ready room. Returning to his previous stance by the window, Rick picked up his tumbler and took another swallow and wondered what it would take to ease his mind.

Ten years had passed, since that fateful day on Macross Island and Rick's life began. Previously satisfied to be a world ariel champion, Rick had no other aspirations other than to be the best at flying. That day changed everything for him and while he didn't realize it at first, it eventually gave him a purpose, a goal, to protect those he loved, and to protect those that can't protect themselves. He had never seen himself as a leader, but surprised himself in the years after the attack and return from their initial space voyage, to no longer willing to just follow, but to have a voice in the decisions that were being made.

The destruction of the SDF-2 by Khyron's attack, made it all the more important for the Megaroad to succeed, and Rick became caught up in the fray of military politics. In the end, his combat experience and leadership made him a natural choice for the selection of Captain for the Megaroad. At 28 years old, Rick found himself in the Captain's chair, ordering the Megaroad's release from his moorings in space and ordering its first official fold operation.

All of this did not lend itself well to Rick's personal life. Although he had thought he had found love early on with Minmei, her own drive to be the brightest star in the universe and her relationship with her cousin/manager Kyle during some of the lowest points in Earth's history caused tension between them. They did try to make one last ditch effort to fix their failing relationship a few years after the SDF-1 reached Earth but Rick's burgeoning career and Minmei's superficial concerns of stardom, officially killed it and the two parted ways.

It had surprised Rick to find Minmei's name on the passenger manifest for the Megaroad a few years later and had gone to see her before the departure to ask why she would want to leave Earth again for the unknown.

Minmei, thrilled that Rick had come to see her, made a big show of greeting him in her suite at the newly renovated Plaza Hotel. Requesting a private interview with her was useless and she made it appear to other visitors to her suite that she and Rick were possibly looking to reconcile. Finally threatening to give an unflattering exclusive interview to one of the tabloid magazines, Minmei finally relented and had her tag-a-longs and followers removed from her suite.

Although he couldn't barr her from the civilian portion of the ship, he had been sorely tempted to try after hearing her reasons for leaving. Minmei, unhappy with her stalling career, wanted to leave on a high note while she still could and hopefully achieve another monumental success if the colonization went well. Her and Kyle had finally ended their relationship both privately and publicly stating that it was time to move on to other goals. Minmei also implied quite heavily that she wouldn't be opposed to rekindling a relationship with him. Rick had left in disgust and over the last two years aboard the Megaroad, he avoided Minmei as much as possible and tried to limit his interaction with her to those times at either military or city functions where she attended as a guest or as a performer.

It didn't mean that Rick lived like a monk, but the few relationships he did have with other women, were short lived. They didn't understand his commitment to his mission, or his commitment to the people on the ship and he found that they women were many times more entranced with the romanticism of dating the Captain of a starship, than they were of him.

With a final glance at the stars beyond, Rick swallowed the remaining liquid in his glass and placed it carefully next to its pair. With a heavy sigh, he returned to his desk and pulled up the latest reports detailing the last minute items that needed to be taken care of before the fold.

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AN: hope you enjoy my story. Updates may be slow, but as usual i will try to complete this story. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

"Sir, we are coming out of the fold in 30," announced Lt. Commander Kenneth Harrison in a calm voice.

Rick acknowledged the lieutenant's notice, "Give me everything you got on what we are heading into"

"Nothing yet sir," announced Lt. Sammy Stevens.

This is the part that Rick hated the most. The anticipation, the unknown that waited for them. They had been lucky so far and had no run ins with any remaining Zentraedi forces on their previous folds. Based on information they gathered on the star system from the Zentraedi, they quickly scanned the planets in hopes to find one suitable for habitation. They would also drop a long distance communications satellite in the hopes that they can connect it to the previous one they left behind. So far everything had been successful.

Coming out of the fold, Rick's heart sank, and immediately gave orders, "I want shields up, full power and patch me into the Velaruse."

The Megaroad had folded right into the middle of an old battlefield. Zentraedi ships laid to waste and space debris lay everywhere. It was unknown how long ago the battle took place or if the attackers were still out there or what had occurred but Rick wasn't taking any chances.

"Commander Zorel of the Velause is on the line sir, " Lt. Cmdr. Harrison reported.

Rick nodded his thanks and stood from the Captain's chair. Soon a holographic image of Commander Zorel was standing in the middle of the bridge, facing Captain Hunter.

The Velaruse was the lead Zentraedi ship run by Commander Zorel. Captain Hunter and Commander Zorel had become good friends over the last two years. He found the Zentraedi commander to be smart, prudent in his decisions and willing to think the situation through before acting. Very much like Breetai, who had remained on Earth to oversee the remaining Zentraedi. It came to no surprise to learn that Zorel could be considered a descendent of Breetai, as DNA material from Breetai was used in the cloning of Zorel.

"Zorel, our sensors aren't picking up anything, what about the Velause? Do you know what happened here?" asked Captain Hunter.

Commander Zorel, looked grave as he gave his report, "Understand we are also still trying to make sense of what happened here, to cause such destruction, but based on some of the ships we have been able to identify through our scanning, these are some of the ships that were unaccounted for prior to Dolza's destruction. There are no other signatures here besides the Zentraedi and based on our readings, the events here happened over 5 years ago. I am hoping that we will be able to find more data about the exact nature of the battle. One or two of the ships still seem to have avoided total destruction, so it might be of our interest to take some time to investigate them. It would also be wise for us to try and recycle as much of the material left out here as well for future use and to cover our trail of being here."

Rick nodded his head in agreement, "The Megaroad will also help with the recycling. As for the ships that are intact enough to board, please let me know when you are ready. I'd like to send some our people down along with the Zentraedi to get the experience and knowledge firsthand on handling this type of situation."

"Understood, sir, we will let you know when we are ready to send a team to investigate. Zorel, signing off." With that, the hologram disappeared from the deck. Running his hand through his hair, Rick sighed and gave orders, "Move the Megaroad to a safe distance from the debris and start sending out the collectors. "

It was many hours later before Rick was able to relax for the day. There was much to do and many orders to give. Navigation was tasked to start determining the next fold coordinates. It was going to be a few weeks before the Megaroad could move on. The Zentraedi wanted to make sure that they could collect as much material as possible and spend time figuring out what had happened at this battle site.

A beep alerted him to an incoming message from the Velaruse and Rick opened the communication line and Zoral appeared on the display screen that Rick had been reading the latest reports on.

"Zoral, find anything interesting?" asked Rick. Zoral had no time to answer. The display screen split and appearing on the screen was Exedore, who had decided to go with the Megaroad on its journey and quest. Rick was glad that the knowledgeable Zentraedi had decided to accompany them on their adventures although he did question Exedore's continued musical appreciation of Minmei.

Rick greeted Exedore as well and said, "Something big must have happened here if both of you are calling me this late."

Exedore gave an excited smile. "Yes, Captain Hunter, you are quite correct. I've analyzed the information that we've gathered so far and we will be sure when we link to the the main computers of those ships, but I thought that this would be of interest to you. Do you recall when you were held on the Zentraedi ship so many years ago? Well it seems that these ships left Dolza's fleet a few months after you and your friends' escape. They may be the last ones to have records of what happened before Dolza left to make his attack on Earth."

Exedore let Rick absorb the information that had just been shared, "Why do you think that these ships carry information about what happened?" he finally asked.

"These ships were part of Dolza's personal fleet, they were utmost loyal to our former lord Dolza and for them to be dispatched right before Earth's attack, well there must be something there. If anything at least we should be able to mine their records as we were not able to recover much after Dolza's ship had been destroyed."

Rick contemplated what he had heard and nodded his head, "What's the plan to board those ships?"

Zoral responded, "There are two ships that are intact enough for us to board. We will send a team to do a security sweep and then send a team to investigate the computers and the ship. The fold engine on one ship seems to be extensively damaged and maybe could not make the next fold. From the fold readings though, it does look like a couple of ships did fold out of this space after the battle. We might be able to follow where they went and that data might be in those computers. It may save Navigation quite a bit of time in figuring where to go next. "

"When will we be ready to investigate the ships?" Rick asked curiously.

"Perhaps in three days time?" responded Zoral, "there is a lot of debris that we should clear and we want to be cautious in approaching those ships as they may be boobytrapped, waiting for someone like us to come along. I'd like to try and do some more analysis of the scans we are doing on the ship before we send anyone over."

Rick nodded his head in agreement,"Thank you Commander, Exedore, for the information. It gives me much to think about."

After signing off, Rick stood and walked over to the window of his ready room. It was the same spot that Max had found Rick in a few days earlier but this time there was no interruption. Rick thought over and over about the information Exedore shared. Could it be that after all this time, could there be an answer? Leaning his head on the cool glass of the window, Rick thought back to that day so long ago. It was an unpleasant memory, one he did not like to dwell on, or think of, but it managed to sneak up on him from time to time.

 ** _Flashback 2010_**

"That's our only chance, we have to get on board that ship!" she whispered excitedly, "We will have to hurry before they find us. They have everyone looking for us, I'm surprised there aren't more guards here."

Max, Ben and Rick, huddled with Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Hayes, behind some large metal containers watching the ship being loaded. There were two guards standing over the ships and the cargo as it was conveyed into the ship's cargo area.

The four spoke quickly and quietly, making and adjusting their escape plans, choosing to make their move right before the final boxes were loaded and the doors closed to the ship. They had seen many fighter pods being loaded onto that particular ship and figured that the ship was headed to the battle with the SDF-1. Their goal was to get on board and then get access to one of their fighter pods and figure out a way to configure it to use as an escape pod once they folded back to the space of the SDF-1.

All had gone well, as they ran to the ship, timing it the same time as the guards made their walk up and down the platform. Just then a third guard unexpectedly showed up on the deck and when the other two guards turned to greet the newcomer, Rick and Lisa were discovered, seen running after Max and Ben to the ship.

Knowing that they needed to get on that ship, they ran harder but the much larger guards did not need much to close the gap. The guards were almost right on top of them and calling for enforcement. Suddenly, Lisa turned and ran back towards the guards. Confused that their prey was running back to them, the guards reacted slowly and took their eye off the others, focused on trying to track Lisa's movements to catch her.

"Lisa, no!" Rick yelled and quickly found his mouth muffled by Ben's hand and between Max and Ben, they forcibly dragged Rick, as he fought their hold, towards the ship. They made it to the ship and were able to wrestle Rick onboard as it's cargo doors closed shut. Ben and Max continued to hold Rick down in order to keep him from going after Lisa.

Finally, dragging Rick to a hidden, darkened corner of the cargo hold concealed by the many boxes, they finally let Rick go but blocked the entrance to their hidey hole. Rick tried to get past them to go back but they kept him back until they started to feel the ship shake and the fold started. By then they all knew it was too late and exhausted by their efforts and the loss of their companion, the three slumped to the cold metal floor to wait out the fold. Knowing that it would take a few hours to get to their destination, the three sat in silence, each hoping that Lisa was able to avoid recapture.

Rick could not longer stand the silence, and raised his head up from his knees where he had been sitting for the last two hours. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Why? Why did you stop me from going back? We still had time, we could have done something!" Angry, Rick wiped at the tears that had come to his eyes unexpectedly, he stood and looked at the two men supposedly under his command. "Why did you do it? Tell me!" he yelled.

Ben just sat and looked at Lt. Hunter and opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Looking towards Max he closed his mouth and looked down at the floor. It was Max that ended up providing an explanation, "She ordered it Rick!"

Rick looked down at his friend, sitting on the floor. Max looked so young and so scared, that Rick felt bad for yelling and taking a deep breath, he asked, "Max, you have to tell me what she said."

Max looked at Ben and Ben nodded to Max, indicating that he should tell Rick the information he wanted.

Max's voice wavered a bit, "She said, I mean, Lt. Cmdr Hayes pulled Ben and I aside and told us that no matter what happened we had to do our best to get aboard that ship. She said, if anything should happen, she would distract them, to make sure we could get away and she ordered and made us promise that we wouldn't allow you to go after her or try to stay with her."

Ben chimed in, "We didn't want to do it boss, but she gave me that scary look of hers and I couldn't say no."

"We tried to argue with her on this, but then you came back from scouting the guards and you told us it was time to go. " continued Max. "When the guards started chasing us, I was so scared, but I kept running and when we realized what she had done, we knew we had to grab you and get you on the ship. The commander, she's smart though, she'll find another ship, she'll find her way back... right?"

Rick slumped back onto the floor, "I hope so Max, I hope so."

They had returned as heroes, held captive by the Zentraedi for over two weeks and escaping and living to tell about it. They were all promoted and given a rousing Welcome Home ceremony. Rick had tried to protest given the loss of the Lt. Cmdr Hayes and the pilot of the Cat-Eye, but Captain Gloval and overruled his concerns, citing that the needs of the people on board, to celebrate and have hope was more important. Lt. Cmdr. Hayes was reported as MIA and promoted in absentia. The ceremony had been a complete blur to Rick and the days after he had isolated himself a bit from his friends and even Roy as he coped with the experience.

Captain Gloval became an unexpected confident, helping Rick to understand Lisa's motives and giving him insight into the woman he considered a surrogate daughter. He allowed Rick to talk about the experience and was one of the few that heard the whole complete story of what happened on the Zentraedi ship from capture to escape.

Captain Gloval had hoped that after Dolza's defeat that Lisa would be returned to them or her fate known, but Breetai and Exedore had no knowledge of what happened to her, nor could they find any record of her recapture after Dolza's defeat.

As Rick continued to stare into the blackness of space, he acknowledged that Lisa's sacrifice helped drive him to the man he was now, from that boy long ago. He used to go their conversations during their captivity often in his head, especially the ones where they had been separated from Max and Ben. He didn't know why he returned to those conversations often, but many times wished that he could talk to her just one more time. Sometimes in times of difficulty, he found himself asking asking himself what Commander Hayes would say or do. He didn't know why he did it, considering the rocky relationship they had since they met, but knew that she had always been on the spot with her judgement and advice.

Rick shook himself free of the memories of the past turned back to face his desk. He thought about sharing what he had learned with Max, as Max had often also expressed guilt over following the Lt. Cmdr.'s orders but decided to wait to see if anything was discovered on board those ship's computers before saying anything.

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AN: Thanks for the kind welcome back and the comments, they are much appreciated. Will continue to do my best with this story and hope you enjoy it.


	3. Chapter 3

Four days passed since Zoral and Exedore's communication with Rick. They had reached an agreement to rendez-vous at the closest Zentraedi ship and allow the Zentraedi to make an initial sweep of the ship before allowing the team from the Megaroad to move forward. The Megaroad and the battleships had made good progress in clearing the debris allowing the Megaroad shuttle clear path to the first ship. The Megaroad team mission was to gather intelligence from the Zentraedi main computers, extract information on their destination and to gather any other usable materials before the remainder of the ship was broken down and recycled.

Rick kept in close contact with the investigation team as it made its way through the Zentraedi's ship remains. There was a gaping hole in the hull when they had entered the ship and the Zentraedi and Megaroad teams were able to close off the hull and section off that area of the ship. The Zentraedi team made to to the central computer and starting uploading it's data to the Velaruse for analysis, while the remainder of the teams searched the decks for anything of use. They were able to find quite a lot of material to strip and take to reuse and moved the items they wanted to take to the cargo hold near the shuttles.

The lack of Zentraedi bodies was unsurprising to the humans investigation team. They had learned over the years of living with the Zentraedi, that all genetic material was reused in their cloning process and that even the dead were recovered due to their valuable organic material. The Zentraedi had been unapologetic about their practice and continued to use the cloning process to replace Zentraedi forces when needed as there were few known Zentraedi relationships that resulted in child or children of mixed heritage. Cloning was still a necessary evil, but it was one the Zentraedi hoped to be able to forgo in the future.

As the investigation teams finished and returned to their respective ships, Rick exhaled a small sigh of relief. He hadn't realized how anxious he had been during the whole time that the investigation had gone on and Rick realized he needed to let off some steam. Checking the time, he excused himself from the bridge and headed to the gym for a much needed workout.

As he relaxed in the steam room, Rick closed his eyes, allowing the hot steam to swirl around him and settle. Rick silently lectured himself on the improbability of finding answers to the mystery that continued to plague him and made a promise to himself to finally let the questions he had about her go.

Over the next couple days, Rick read the Zentraedi reports on the data that was recovered from the first ship. It had seemed that Dolza was sending a small contingency to a visit a non spacefaring species called the Torvoc. Exedore explained that the Torvoc were intelligent being, short in stature, hairy and muscular all over. They were as vicious and warlike as the Zentraedi and Dolza had made some agreement with the Torvoc warlord in power to allow Dolza to use their planet as a dumping ground for the Zentraedi that had displeased him. The accused were hunted down and killed as sport as Dolza watched using unmanned drones. The purpose of this contingency's visit was unknown, but there were clear fold coordinates to use if they were so inclined to head that way.

The reports also show that while they were headed to the Torvoc's galaxy, a mutiny had occurred in the ranks of Dolza's fleets and it appeared that Zentraedi turned on Zentraedi resulting in the battlefield that had been left behind. It was unclear who the victors were but from the particle sensors left behind they did not use follow the coordinates that lead to the Torvoc but to some new, unknown destination.

Rick was left with a dilemma, to follow the known coordinates to the Torvoc, hoping to pick up another particle trace hoping it will lead them to the next destination, or to follow the Zentraedi that had chosen a different path, hoping it would lead to the Robotech Masters or the Zentraedi home world.

No decision was needed at that time as it would still take a couple of weeks for the cleanup to be completed, but Rick knew him and his trusted advisors would need to make a decision soon.

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AN: Sorry for the short chapter, very little time to write. :( Love the reviews and feedback, glad to hear that you want to know what happens next! Also I hope this story will redeem myself in the eyes of those that think I am too hard on Rick in my other stories.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sir, Commander Zoral is on line one," reported Lt. Cmdr. Harrison.

"Thanks, I'll take it in my ready room," replied Rick as he stood from his captain's chair and exited the bridge to his room.

Sitting in the comfortable black office chair, Rick opened the line to Zoral. "Commander, how are things going this morning?" he asked politely.

"Good morning to you, Captain Hunter, there is not much more to report, we are almost complete with the data analysis from the first ship and wanted to move ahead with examining the second ship before we also take if for recycling. Do you want to send a team from the Megaroad?"

Rick shook his head, "No, I don't see a need, do you Zoral? Your team knows what they are doing. Just let me know if there is anything that may be of interest to me."

"Understood, sir, we will go ahead and start the next operation then. If we find anything interesting we will let you know. Zoral out."

Rick continued to scan the new data that came into his console in his ready room. A probe had been sent out when they first arrived in this sector to see if there any hospitable planets for human migration. The probe had found many a great deal about the planets in the vicinity, but nothing that could sustain human life.

There was not much more to do in this sector except to finish the recycling process and send the finished mapped area back to Earth using their newly installed satellite, that would remain in this sector to monitor for any unusual activity and to be used as a relay station for any messages that they wanted to get back to Earth.

Rick was surprised a few hours later to receive an incoming message from Zoral on his private line. Wondering what could have happened, Rick picked up the line and in a serious tone answered, "Hunter here, Zoral what's going on"

Rick could hear heavy muffled breathing, it sounds like Zoral was moving. Worried, Rick called out again, "Zoral!"

"Apologies Captain Hunter, I was trying to find a better area in which to communicate with you." came the response, "We came across something that I believe that you would find fascinating."

Rick was confused, "Zoral, where are you? Are you on that ship? Why aren't you on the Velaruse?"

"Yes, yes, I am sorry I didn't say anything earlier but I decided to go with the investigation team myself to the remaining ship. There were some schematics of the ship that didn't seem to make sense when we scanned it initially, but it all makes sense now."

"What was it, what did you find? Why wasn't informed about this during our earlier discussion?," demanded Rick.

Zoral sounded as if he was out of breath, but quickly responded. "Captain, I apologize, but I didn't want to get any hopes up. We found a chamber, quite hidden from the rest of the ship. We noticed that when we scanned the ship that that area had been sectioned off somehow. There is no power to the remaining ship but we were getting some activity readings from that part of the ship. We weren't sure if it was anything, but we were able to locate the source and found that this chamber had an independent power source and that a computer had been left running. Captain Hunter, we think we found her. "

Rick sat back heavily in his seat, the news surprising and unexpected, but also not. In a way he knew that eventually the mystery would be solved but didn't know if he wanted to know the answer. "Tell me more Zoral." he asked quietly.

Excited, Zoral continued. He knew the story of Captain Hunter and Sterlings' capture and escape and of the missing Lt. Cmdr. but didn't really understand how much that experience had influenced Rick's life choices.

"We found a capsule with a humanoid life inside it. Computer records indicate that it is a female inside the capsule, we will not be able to gather more info until we download the data from the computer. We are trying to figure out how this was engineered so we can move it safely back to the Velaruse. "

Rick took in everything that Zoral had said, but could only blurt out the one thing on his mind, "IS she alive?"

Zoral, was quiet, "We are unsure. It looks like she was put into cryofreeze, which is how many Zentraedi travel during long space faring journeys, we are normally only awaken when we reached our destination or if there is a need. This chamber was modified to fit a humanoid life, the computer indicates that all is well with the cryofreeze chamber but we wouldn't really know until we release her from the chamber. We plan to bring it back to the Velaruse"

"NO, if it's Lt. Cmdr. Hayes, I want the chamber brought back to the Megaroad." ordered Rick.

"I'm sorry Captain, on this I would have to disagree. If there is any chance of us discovering what happened here and possibly seeing if she can be brought back from her cryo state, it would have to be done on the Velaruse, the Velaruse is better equipped to handle this type of situation then the Megaroad. I hate to disappoint you in this," came the reply from Zoral.

Rick's head was reeling, he didn't know what to think. For now, he would let the Velaruse take care of her, but if all went well he hoped that she would be able to join the Megaroad someday soon. Knowing he could no longer keep this a secret, Rick wanted to tell Max about the situation, in case it was truly her.

"Fine, understood. Please keep your team to secrecy, if it fails and she is not revivable, I'd like less people to know about it. I want the data from those computers, translated and sent to me as soon as possible. "

Zoral murmured his consent and after reviewing a few more details with one another, they signed off to move forward with the next steps.

Rick strode down the long grey hallways, his footsteps muffled by the carpeted floor. He slowed his approach as he reached the door, muffled laughter reaching his ears from behind the closed door. He paused wondering if he should continue or wait until another time.

What other time? he thought to himself. Knowing that no matter how much secrecy was placed around the event, some snippet of truth would get out. Miriya was a master at getting the latest gossip and rumours that many times had Rick thinking she had planted a bug in his office.

Steeling himself, he gave a quick rap to the door, a rhythm that was familiar to the occupants.

"Come in Rick," said the voice from inside.

The door released and slid open to allow Rick passage through. A cheerful ambience greeted him as he walked into Max and Miriya's spacious quarters. The front room was decorated with comfortable couches and bright touches of color from the rugs and the throw pillows. Small toys were scattered on the floor, where Max was entertaining his youngest daughter Maia, now almost a year old. It had hurt Miriya and Max tremendously to leave their eldest daughter Dana back home in care of the Grants and Dr. Emerson, but at the time it seemed to be the wisest decision. Max and Miriya were surprised to be blessed a second time with a daughter and cherished her greatly, hoping one day soon to return to Earth to be reunited with Dana.

Miriya popped her head out of the kitchen as Rick walked by.

"Rick, would you like something to drink?" she asked briskly.

"Thank you Miriya, no, not right now." he replied.

Max noticing the tone of Rick's voice, knew that something had come up. Their long term friendship and having to watch each other's back for so long in combat, gave them an uncanny ability to read each other very well.

Pulling himself and Maia up from the floor, he indicated for Rick to take a seat, while he sat across from him with Maia on his lap. The girl continued to giggle and babble, unaware that anything of importance was going on.

Miriya, came out of the kitchen with a tray of beverages and placed a tall glass of water in front of Rick before placing glasses down for Max and herself. Glad now for the opportunity to delay, Rick thanked Miriya and picked up the glass and took a long cool drink. He didn't realize how thirsty he had been until now and finished the glass easily.

"More?" Miriya asked, indicating the water pitcher that had been on the tray.

"No, thank you Miriya, once again, despite my refusal, you still know what is best for me," replied Rick with a small chuckle.

The three old friends laughed at the small joke, knowing that when it came to Rick's personal life she would do as she pleased but as her Captain, she was resolute in following orders.

Max, curious as to why Rick stopped by, was direct in his inquiry. "I know you didn't come by because you were hankering for a home cooked meal. What's going on? You could have called me to come to your office."

Without any preamble, Rick blurted out quietly, "They might have found her, Max."

"What? Are you serious? What do you mean?" stammered Max. Miriya had no doubt of who Max and Rick were speaking of and stayed silent for Rick to relay the news.

"On that last ship, Zoral didn't tell me, until afterwards, but they found a hidden room, where a cryofreeze chamber was setup and was still being powered. The scans show a human female is encased, but they don't know her status. They're going to transfer everything to the Velaruse and see if they can awaken her."

"Rick that's unbelievable. Do you think it's really her?"

"I don't know Max, I mean what are the chances of find another female humanoid out here." Rick gave a crazy little laugh and continued, "What are the chances of finding anything like that out here? Maybe it's a Zentraedi trap, maybe it's not even her."

Max could see that Rick was having a hard time dealing with the possibility that the discovery was true and that there was a chance to recover Lt. Cmdr. Hayes or at least have closure to that mystery. Worried Rick would crack further, Max thought refocusing the topic would help Rick regain his composure.

"We were so young back then Rick, I look back now and remember how much you used to argue with her during flight duties. I never knew if you were crazy or just stupid. I mean even with her education and training, she must have only been 24 or 25 herself at that time even though she seemed more mature."

Rick gave a little laugh, "Don't you think I realized that too? After making Skull Captain, I remember reaming out Baker and Johnson for buzzing the air traffic towers and for pulling some unsafe stunts. Lisa used to tell me off for that same type of behavior and my loud know it all mouth. I realize now, that she was just doing her job trying to keep us safe."

Max nodded, "She did a good job with that, she always erred on making the best decision for the pilots involved. That's why she was such a good tactician, she looked at so many angles of the battle before ordering us in"

Miriya who had been quiet during their continued reminiscing, took a moment in the lull of conversation and added her own thoughts. "I have heard of Lt. Cmdr Hayes from you, Claudia, and Rick many times and even though I never met her, I feel as though I know her. I wanted to add that if it wasn't for her, my acceptance and marriage to Max may not have been as easy. Even though Rick, you had gone through a traumatic experience at the hands of my people, when it came down to it, you defended me with the words that you have oft said that she told you during your captivity. "How can you hate a race that you can only feel pity for. Their whole existence was created for fighting wars and survival. Maybe they just need to know that there is something more to life than that. " Your advocacy and willingness to forgive those that caused you harm, Rick and using her words to persuade others made the happiness and love I have found in my life possible. As a Zentraedi, I cannot tell you how much her understanding of the emptiness of our lives and recognizing that there could be hope for us if given a chance."

Max unused to seeing Miriya in such a solemn state, gave her a quick side hug to give her comfort and support. Rick could only nod his head in agreement and thanked Miriya for her kind words before rising to take his leave. Although they protested and asked him to stay longer, Rick longed for the solitude and privacy of his own quarters. After kissing a sleeping Maia and his goodbyes to the Sterlings, Rick made his way back to his own quarters, to do some thinking of his own.

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AN: Thanks again for the reviews and comments, keep them coming, I love hearing what people have to say about the story so far!


	5. Chapter 5

It was difficult for Rick to remain calm and wait for Zoral and the Velaruse to update him on their progress. He knew that Zoral had a team on board the ailing Zentraedi ship to figure a way to safely transport the cryo chamber to the Velaruse.

He restrained himself from calling over to Velaruse to ask for updates, knowing that it would be a distraction to Zoral and the team working on the issue. He knew he had to wait for Zoral and knew his patience would pay off, when Zoral finally contacted him.

Before taking the call, Rick took a deep breath and put on a cool demeanor to mask the roiling and churning anxiety he felt inside.

"Captain Hunter," greeted Zoral with a smile. Rick could tell it was a practiced smile, it wasn't natural for the Zentraedi or even for Zoral to show any emotion on their faces when speaking. He couldn't help but to return a grim smile.

"Zoral, what's the current status?" he asked, hoping not to betray his concerns.

"You will be happy to hear that Dr. Lang, and Exedore and the team here feel that they can safely move the cryofreeze chamber and that we will commence operations of the move to the Velaruse at 13:00. Once there, we will be better able to see if we can bring her out of her condition. We have also started to download the data from the computer and have translated a few of the files for your review." Zoral paused, wondering if he should go on.

Making a quick decision that it would be better to make a full disclosure to Captain Hunter, Zoral added, "I read a little of the files before they were encrypted for your review, the details included, well, are a bit disturbing."

Rick, keeping a stoic look on his face and nodded his head, "Understood Zoral, thank you for the warning. Please go ahead and send me what you can."

Zoral signed out and Rick put his head in his hands as he waited to hear the telltale ping of his tablet and console letting him know that the data had arrived.

He had mentally tortured himself for years, wondering if Lt. Cmdr. Hayes had escaped and if she hadn't, what did the Zentraedi put her though. Hearing Zoral's words echoing in his head, Rick picked up the tablet as it chimed indicating the files had been received, and grimly picked it up to read.

He didn't know if he could distance himself from this as he had to with other reports that had come through his desk over the years, many of them filled with unpleasant details.

Rick felt a pit in his stomach as he opened the first file and started to read. It seemed to be a log or personal record of some sort.

 _ **2009-11**_

 _Dolza has been quite angry over the loss of the human captives. It is said that the three males escaped on a supply ship headed to Commander Breetai. The status of the female is unknown, guards had reported that she had separated from the males, but they have not yet been able to capture her or determine if she is still aboard the ship or if she made it onto the supply ship as well._

 _ **2009-11-05**_

 _The rumors are that the female has been seen on the ship. Some of the guards have reported hearing unexplained noises and one guard reported seeing something scurry into one of the air vents. Dolza has all reports being investigated but still she has not been discovered._

 ** _2009-11-10_**

 _I have suggested to Dolza that it maybe time to lure out our prey, she has alluded us long enough. Using the recordings that we took of their interrogation, we can make it look as if we made another capture, as the leader of the captives, this may draw her out, if she thinks we have captured others._

 ** _2009-11-12_**

 _Success! Just as I thought, her concern for her fellow humans would lead her out. We used the recordings to simulate a human yell for repeated cries for "Help". Keeping one guard on the door where the cries were located, we had the guard act "distracted" and he wandered from the door. As she approached the door, we killed the lights and with our guards using night goggles were quickly able to contain her._

 ** _2009-11-14_**

 _The female is very stubborn. She has refused to answer any of our questions regarding the other's escape. She is no longer willing to answer any questions as she did when they were initially captured. Dolza has interrogated her for for many hours now and does not let her sleep, continually waking her, still she answers none of our questions._

 ** _2009-11-15_**

 _Dolza has give her to me, to "convince"her to talk. He said that I could use any means necessary but that she is not to be killed. I promised him that I would do my best._

Rick put the tablet down slowly on the table. He would have to wait for the remaining files to be translated and sent. Sitting back heavily into his chair, all Rick could get his mind around was that he had the truth. Lisa had been discovered and most likely tortured, for what reason he couldn't think of. Dolza already had showed them the Zentraedi's destructive power, by destroying a planet in front of their eyes during captivity. Their firepower compared to the Earth was absolute. What more information did they want from her?

* * *

AN: I know it's short, but wanted to get this up.. Thank you again for reading..


	6. Chapter 6

Rick tried to keep himself occupied and not think about what Dr. Lang and Exedore were doing to the cryo chamber on the Velaruse. While the move to the ship was successful, they were running simulations on how to best revive Lt. Cmdr. Hayes as the setup was a bit different than what they had been used to with the Zentraedi chambers and wanted to take the least amount of risk as possible.

It had been confirmed that it was Lt. Cmdr. Hayes in the chamber. Rick had wanted to fly Skull One over to the Velaruse to see for himself, but was asked to wait on the Megaroad until they were able to work on her revival. Instead Zoral and Dr. Lang sent over photos of proof of her existence and situation.

Dr. Lang and Zoral had been able to remove the protective covering over the chamber itself which gave a clear view into the chamber. Her positioning in the case was not one of peacefulness, the photo showed Lt. Cmdr. Hayes with her hands up, in a protective manner and her face slightly turned away from the window. Her eyes were closed tightly, almost as if she didn't want to see what was happening.

Dr. Lang expressed his fears to Rick in a private conversations that it did not appear that Lisa willingly participated in the cryofreeze. He also mentioned the numerous risks that faced her even if she was able to be successfully revived. They had no idea what the freeze may do to her mind or her body and that there was a likelihood that she could be in a permanent vegetative state.

Rick and Dr. Lang had debated whether or not it would be better to leave Lisa in the state that she was in, or revive her given the risks. After long hours of debate, Rick and Dr. Lang agreed that Lisa would have wanted to be freed no matter the risks and he gave Zoral, Dr. Lang and Exedore the orders to go on with their efforts.

Rick also sent out an urgent message to Admiral Gloval, knowing that he would want to know about the discovery and the risks of successful revival. It would be days before they would know anything, but felt given the circumstances he didn't want to wait and see if they were successful or not before communicating her status to the Admiral.

Zoral also sent on the remaining files over that was kept by her captives. Exedore identified the personal logs from someone he called Kronik, who specialized in interrogation techniques through "scientific methodology". Starvation, sleep deprivation, electrical shocks, all part of his repertoire to get their enemies to talk.

Kronik recorded the "stubborn" nature of their captive and his different methodologies to break Lt. Cmdr. Hayes. It seemed his interrogation of Cmdr. Hayes lasted almost six weeks before concluding that she didn't have knowledge of what the Zentraedi were looking for. It frustrated Rick to no end, that there was no reference of what they had wanted from her. It was also discovered that this fleet of ships were sent back by Dolza, right before the final attack on Earth.

Any other files other than what remained of Kronik's records had been destroyed. There was no clue as to how Lisa had been placed in the chamber or how long ago the battle at the site had been. The discovery of Lisa, while solving one mystery, created so many other questions. They hoped that Lisa would be able to answer those when she was revived.

* * *

Rick felt the tension leave his body. He hadn't realized how much he had missed flying.

There was still time before Zoral and Dr. Lang were going to start the process to revive Lisa and Max had suggested that Rick leave earlier to get in some flying before heading to the Velaruse to monitor the procedures. There were few humans serving on the Velaruse as most felt more comfortable on the Megaroad, however Dr. Lang and few other scientists and doctors had decided to make the Velaruse their home on this journey to continue their understanding of Robotechnology.

If her awakening was successful, as they hoped it would be, they knew that they needed to have people on hand that could help Lisa cope with her experience. Luckily they had found that Dr. Emma Wu, a physician onboard the Megaroad had been one of Lisa's primary care doctors on the SDF-1 and they felt her presence would be necessary to help with Lisa's transition. She had transferred to the Velaruse earlier in the week to familiarize herself with the procedures and the risks and to put a plan in place for Lisa's treatment.

Rick thought about leaving earlier as well to the Velaruse, but couldn't stand the thought of waiting days before the procedure was to occur. He knew he would drive the crew of the Velaruse crazy with his questions and impatience on the matter and didn't want to distract those involved with the process.

Rick continued to fly, weaving in and out between the other ships and getting out into clear space. Doing a series of barrel rolls and other aerial stunts, Rick remembered what it was like to fly for the pure joy of it and knew that he would need to do this more often.

* * *

Zoral and Dr. Lang were both there to greet Rick upon his arrival on the Velaruse. As Rick and Dr. Lang rode the moving sidewalk that was setup in the Velaruse for the humans, they updated Rick on last minute preparations for the revival. They left Rick in his guest quarters to clean up and had him escorted to the medical center to begin the procedure.

Before starting, Rick was given leave to examine the capsule Lisa had spent the last couple of years. He could see the tension and fear in her face and hated knowing some of what she had gone through. It paled in comparison to the lean years of the Reconstruction and Zentraedi malcontent on Earth that he and so many others faced. Hoping that he would be able to make it up to her, Rick exited the extraction chamber to hear Dr. Lang orders, "Let's begin."

* * *

AN: I'm typing these chapters as fast as i can!


	7. Chapter 7

Incredible pain, the sensation of fire running through her veins and limbs jolted Lisa from her unconscious state. She knew not to yell, or make any noise, to bear the pain as best she could because if she didn't, the pain could be made worse. Forcing herself to keep her eyes closed, the physical agony caused her to block out all other sounds around her. She just had to endure and hope and pray for it to be over soon.

Locked in her own mind, Lisa, couldn't hear Dr. Wu and Dr. Lang shouting orders out to their staff.

"She's going into convulsions, we need to restrain her!"

"Inject another dose of the morphine into her drip, her heart can't take much more of this!"

"Her body's under a lot of stress, we need to prevent her from going into shock."

Rick watched helplessly from the observation window. His hands clenched in tight fists, wanting to break through and help. He knew she was in the best hands, but listening to the doctors and staff and seeing her physical exertions taxed his emotions.

It felt like hours, but it was only minutes that passed, until the drugs kicked in and her vital signs stabilized that Lisa fell once again into a dreamless sleep. Multiple electrodes had been placed on her, monitoring her heart, brain activity and breathing.

There was a collective sigh of relief from all those that were involved once Lisa had been safely extracted and seemingly no worse physically from being unfrozen. While brain activity monitoring was also in range, they had no idea what state Lisa would be mentally until she woken up.

Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu, gave Rick a brief update after Lisa's release, informing him that further physical examination via X-ray had show that Lisa also suffered from two cracked ribs, and a dislocated shoulder. There were also burns around her wrist and neck indicating that she had been restrained, thin lacerations barely healed that crossed her back and that she was painfully underweight. Given her condition, they thought it best to warn Rick that her chances for survival were low and if she recovery time for her would be a long arduous process.

Rick thanked them profusely for their efforts and was allowed into her recovery room for a brief minute to see her for himself. Most of her was hidden underneath the warming blankets except her face, pale and still under the oxygen mask they had placed over her. Her long hair, hung lank and dirty. She looked nothing like the woman he remembered.

Leaning down over her and brushing a few strands of her hair off her face, Rick whispered softly into her ear, "Welcome home Lisa."

* * *

AN: The next chapters will be longer, i promise. As for the question on age difference, Lisa was 24 when captured, Rick about 19 or 20. That would make Rick about 30 in this story, so he would be 5 to 6 years older than her.


	8. Chapter 8

It was the sound of the monitors and the rythmic whooshing release made from the blood pressure cuff that made Lisa realize that something was different. Keeping her breath relaxed and constant to not draw attention to her awaken state, she listened to those sounds around her before deciding to try and open her eyes. She was warm, almost too warm, something else that she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Light footsteps approached her from her left side and feigning sleep, Lisa listened for clues. Finally a low soft voice spoke, "Lt. Cmdr. Hayes, Lisa, can you hear me? It's me, Dr. Wu. Do you remember me? Can you hear me? You're safe now. You're in the medical center, in recovery."

Lisa couldn't help but let a low sob escape her lips. Could it be that she had finally been rescued?

"It's okay Lisa, it's true, you're safe now, it's okay to open your eyes." Dr. Wu used a soothing voice to calm Lisa down. She had sensed when Lisa had awaken and realized that she wouldn't open her eyes until she had control of her senses.

Lisa breathed in slowly taking in the difference in the taste of the air compared to the Zentraedi ship and slowly opened her eyes.

The room was darkened to help Lisa adjust to the light. There was enough light in the room for Lisa to turn her head and look at the figure standing close to her bed. Dr. Wu, bent a little closer to Lisa, to ensure that she could be seen clearly and was pleased to see Lisa, give a small smile and say clearly with a hoarse voice, "Hello Dr. Wu, it's been a long time."

Dr. Wu smiled back, happy to see that Lisa recognized her and could speak. "That it is Lisa, that it is. I have to let Dr. Lang and the Captain know that you are awake. I'll be right back."

Before she could step away, Lisa asked, "Wait, can you tell me, did Lt. Hunter, Sterling and Dixon make it back?"

Dr. Wu knowing that Lisa probably had no idea how much time had passed responded, "They made it back, I'll let Dr. Lang fill you in, in the meantime, rest a bit and I will get him."

Dr. Wu stepped out of the room, her heart pounding. She didn't know how they were going Lisa about how much time had really passed.

They met in the small conference room next to the medical rooms. Dr. Wu had just briefly explained that Lisa had woken and asked about her fellow captives. Rick couldn't believe after all that she had been through, that it was the first question that had come out of her mouth.

They had previously agreed that Dr. Lang would be the best to tell Lisa about the time pass given Lang's long history with the Hayes family. Dr. Wu would be on hand to provide moral support and be on hand to sedate her if needed.

Lisa lay still on the bed, enjoying the warmth and the softness of the bed. She could believe that the SDF-1 was able to rescue her and couldn't wait to see Captain Gloval and Claudia. She wasn't sure how much time had really passed but it couldn't have been more than a few weeks or months.

As the door to her room swooshed open, she was surprised to see Dr. Lang, looking older and a bit tired coming into her room. He gave her a smile, and said in his slightly accented voice, "Ah, Lisa, I am glad to see you are awake, we have been waiting for some time for you to come to."

Rick watched and heard Lang's conversation with Lisa through the two way glass window in the room. He was worried about what her reaction was going to be and wanted to be on hand just in case.

Lisa just gave a sleepy smile and said, "I'm glad to be home, is the Captain coming? I'd like to see Claudia too."

Dr. Lang pulled up a chair next to her bed, "Yes, the Captain will be down here soon, but there is something I need to tell you. Please know that we will do everything to support you but a lot of things have changed since you have been gone."

"I haven't been gone that long, what happened? Is everyone okay?" asked Lisa with a slight panicked voice.

Dr. Lang looked at Lisa was grave eyes, "Can you tell me what you remember last Lisa?"

Lisa closed her eyes, she didn't want to remember, she shook her head, but Lang continued to press her. "Lisa, please this is important, what do you remember?"

Squeezing her eyes tight, she shook her head again.

"Lt Cmdr. Hayes, please respond. We need to know what it is that you last remembered."

Rick wanted to rush in the room. He could tell that Lisa was scared and couldn't believe that Lang would push her like that.

Dr. Lang tried again and said in a low, calm pleading voice, "Please Lisa, we need to know."

With her eyes shut, Lisa quickly responded, "They pulled me from my cell, I fought but they dragged me to a room with a metallic box filled with liquid. They forced me in and shut me in the box. I cried and they wouldn't let me go, I could see them outside moving around and then saw this large laser gun or ray pointed at me. It flashed and then nothing until I woke up to Dr. Wu."

Dr. Lang put a comforting hand on Lisa and said, quietly, "Lisa, I don't know how to tell you this, that ray or machine you saw, was a cryofreeze ray. They were going to take you somewhere far away but they didn't make it and we found you."

Lisa was confounded by what she heard, "What? What do you mean you found me? Where are we?"

Holding onto her hand, Lang tried to convey warmth and calmness to Lisa knowing that the revelation would be a shock to her.

"Dr Lang, Emil, I need to know. Please tell me." Lisa pleaded.

"Lisa, when we found you, you were still trapped, encased in that capsule, we weren't sure if we were going to be able to revive you. I don't know how else to tell you, but Lisa, you were captured by the Zentraedi almost ten years ago."

"What?" Lisa said incredulously. "How can that be? Are you telling me that I've been gone for ten years? Where are we? Are we still on the SDF-1? Where's Captain Gloval?"

Dr. Lang motioned to Dr. Wu to administer a light sedative to Lisa via her IV. It would help calm her down and hopefully help her accept her new reality.

"Lisa, listen to me, I know it is a lot to take in, but there was no way we could keep you in the dark about this. What I am telling you is the truth, you've been gone a long time. We will do what we can to help you adjust to the changes."

"Where are we? Are we on Earth?" she asked in a quiet voice, "Did he do it, did Dolza destroy the planet? Are we the only ones left?!"

Hoping the relaxer would take effect soon, Lang just shook his head, "No, he almost destroyed it, but we survived Lisa and now we are a mission to find the Robotech Master homeworld and to find other planets for us to colonize."

"My father?" asked Lisa suddenly, in a whisper.

Lang shook his head, "I'm sorry Lisa, he didn't make it. The Grand Cannon was able to fire a single shot that destroyed hundred of thousands of ships, but was targeted for destruction by Dolza's fleet."

Lis couldn't help but start to sob. During her captivity she had much alone time to think and on the top of her to do's on her return was to make up for lost time with her father. Knowing now that she would never have that chance to talk to him, to say goodbye or tell him how much she loved him, hit her like a speeding train.

She started to cry earnestly, sobbing inconsolably. Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu held onto her supporting her until the sobs quieted and the drugs took her into a deep sleep.

Dr Lang and Dr. Wu, saddened and distraught for the young woman, reentered the room where Rick had stood and watched the process. As usual, Rick held no emotion on his face, only his stiff stance and clasped hands behind his back, showed the agitation he felt.

He remembered watching her on the flight deck of the Prometheus after his rescue of her on Mars Base Sara, silently shedding tears as the SDF-1 escaped the planet. There had been something so vulnerable and so human about her at that time, that Rick hadn't been able to turn himself away from watching over her.

Seeing her break down, once again, brought out a fierce protectiveness in him that surprised even him. He expected to feel sympathy for her but was surprised about the rush of emotions he felt.

Turning to greet the two doctors, he thanked Lang for breaking the news to Lisa and they three discussed how they would need to introduce her to the other realities of this new world for her.

* * *

AN: Great observations from reviewers! WarriorQueenFX and Callialex, I hope that my future chapters will resolve your questions!

Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement to keep going!


	9. Chapter 9

Lisa had only been awake for a few minutes before Dr. Wu entered the room. They must be monitoring the room somehow thought Lisa.

"How are you feeling today Lisa," asked Dr. Wu as she checked Lisa's vital signs.

"Um, unreal I guess," replied Lisa. She still couldn't wrap her mind around what Dr. Lang had told her. Everything still felt like a dream, she didn't know if it was because of the drugs or because of the stark differences between being a Zentraedi captive and being back onboard.

"I know it's a huge shock to you Lisa, we are all going to do our best to help you acclimate. Before that though, we need to help you get stronger. We know that they didn't treat you kindly as a prisoner and you have some injuries that need time to heal"

"Thank you Dr. Wu," replied Lisa, "Can you tell me more about my situation? I didn't get any answers about where we are and I wanted to ask about my friends."

Dr. Wu nodded her head, "Or course Lisa, the Captain will be down in a minute, he wanted to be the one to tell you himself."

"Captain Gloval? Is he here?" asked Lisa with a breathless voice.

Dr. Wu, gave her a little smile, "No, but he's not unfamiliar to you."

Lisa was about to ask more, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Dr. Wu, opened the door and said something to the person waiting outside. Shutting the door, she came back over to Lisa and adjusting the bed to allow Lisa to sit up a bit, said, "Is it okay if I allow the Captain in?"

Lisa was apprehensive, but curious as to who could be on the other side of the door. Giving a slight nod of acceptance to Dr. Wu, she tried to see as much as she could when he entered.

Lisa studied him carefully as he crossed the room to her bedside. She noted the black captain's coat and his height. He was tall and carried himself confidently. He didn't seem familiar to her.

Taking off the captain's cap as he reached her bedside, she took in the shock of black hair and the stirrings of recognition jogged her.

"Hello Lt. Cmdr. Hayes. Lisa, I hope you remember me," said Rick with a smile.

Lisa took a sharp intake of breath, she couldn't believe that Lt. Rick Hunter, was now a Captain. She didn't know what to say, where to start. "Captain Hunter...I would have never believed.."

Rick chuckled, "Well yes, things have changed while you've been uh, gone. Lisa, um, Lt. Cmdr. Hayes, I want you to know that I'm glad that you're here and while I know the circumstances are extraordinary, I hope you know that I will do anything to help you with your transition to this time."

"Thank you," Lisa murmured. She took in the figure standing before her. He was much taller and broader than she remembered and his face, more mature, more defined. He was definitely not the boy that she remembered. His dark blue eyes met hers as she looked him over.

Rick took a seat in the metal chair beside her bed. "I know Dr. Lang explained to you about your rescue and I'm sure there is much you want to know. Dr. Lang thought it best that I do my best to catch you up on what happened after after we made it back."

Lisa nodded her head, "Yes, Dr. Wu said that you three made it back to the SDF-1."

"We did Lisa, thanks to you and your sacrifice. We know that you saved our lives that day and there is no way we can ever repay you for that."

"No Rick, there is nothing that you owe me for. I knew what I was doing when I turned back, I am sure as Captain, you know that I had a responsibility as your commanding officer to give you and your men a chance to escape. I never regretted that decision. "

Rick didn't want to argue with her, but he had studied her service records after he had become Captain and had noted that Lisa had a propensity to put others welfare and wants over hers. While she held a position of command, it was never used for the betterment of her own career, but always for those that were under her.

"Well, you have our gratitude and thanks nonetheless." replied Rick.

"I have to know, did Claudia and Captain Gloval, and the girls - did they make it?" asked Lisa.

On this subject, Rick felt more at ease to address and was happy to alleviate her fears, "Admiral Gloval remained on Earth and is still an integral part of the UN Spacy. Claudia, Commander Grant, still serves under him."

"Oh, did Claudia and Roy, did they ever get married?" asked Lisa.

Lisa watched as a frown marred his face and Rick briefly looked down at his hands before answering. It still hurt Rick to talk about his big brother.

"No, Roy was killed in one of the final battles. Claudia and him, they never got a chance to marry before he died. Last I heard, she was seeing a very nice guy in Macross City."

Lisa looked saddened by the news, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could have been there for her and I'm sorry for your loss as well. Roy was a good man and a good friend."

"Thanks Lisa... As for Terrible Trio, Sammy and Kim were married right before the Megaroad took off on it's mission. As for Vanessa, she was still looking for Mr. Right. They were almost killed when one of the Zentraedi commanders Khyron made a last ditch effort to destroy the SDF-1"

Lisa studied the man sitting next to her as he updated her on a few others that they served with on the SDF-1, she still couldn't get over the fact that the Captain sitting in front of her, was that young brash pilot.

Rick caught her inattention and paused mid-sentence. Lisa apologized and quickly asked about Sterling and Dixon. Rick gave her another sad smile, "Ben didn't make it, he died in a blast when the barrier system overloaded."

"And Max?" asked Lisa quietly.

Rick couldn't help but smile and say, "You'll see Max when we get you back to the Megaroad. He's married now, with two little girls. Although they had to leave Dana on Earth."

Lisa gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, um, Max married a Zentraedi.. Miriya, um, they were worried that Dana would be at risk being half Zentraedi. But then they had another daughter about a year ago."

"The Zentraedi's are allies?" asked Lisa in disbelief.

Knowing what Lisa had gone through, Rick wondered if she was going to be accept that the Zentraedi's were indeed their allies and that they were currently on a Zentraedi ship.

Panicking a bit, he apologized to Lisa, "I'm sorry I didn't think about how you would take that news. Commander Breetai and Exedore were key in helping us save Earth from Dolza and we now owe them a great deal in helping us after the devastation."

It was a lot for Lisa to take in, she needed time to absorb everything that she had just learned and her head started to ache a bit.

"I'm sorry Captain Hunter, but do you mind leaving now, I need some time to process this all."

Worried for her and concerned that he may have caused her additional stress, Rick apologized for staying as long as he had and let her know that he would return another time.

Not looking at him, Lisa just nodded her head in agreement and waited til she heard the door close behind him, to lay down and close her eyes, hoping to fall back asleep again.

* * *

AN : Some things changed and some things didn't. I was always sad that only Lisa made it, so this time they all survived.

I am sure some were hoping for love at first site between Rick and Lisa, but i think they both need some time to get there.

Thank you all for your reviews!


	10. Chapter 10

Rick knocked on the door to Lisa's room and waited for her to grant him admittance. He was surprised to find a micronized Zoral in the room, talking to Lisa. Still half a foot taller than Rick, even in his micronized form, Zoral was considered to be quite striking looking even amongst the human female population, with his dark green hair and forest green eyes.

"Zoral, I didn't expect to find you here." greeted Rick, with a bit of displeasure in his voice.

If Zoral noticed the censure in his voice, he didn't react to it, responding back to Rick's inquiry. "Oh I couldn't wait to meet Lt. Cmdr Hayes as soon as possible, now that she has had a chance to recover. I didn't think she would be comfortable meeting me in my non micronized form. I wanted to welcome her to the Velaruse and to provide her with some entertainment while she recuperates."

Zoral indicated to the tablet on the bed and the latest music player available. "I thought it would be useful for her to look up on her own what has happened since she was last on the SDF-1."

Rick observed Zoral closely, he didn't know why Zoral's visit to Lisa bothered him, but Zoral seemed too interested in Lisa.

"Thank you Zoral for bringing those to her, they were on my list to provide her as well."

"Well, I am sure you two have much to talk about, so I will excuse myself." Turning back to Lisa he said, "I hope to enjoy your company more if that would be acceptable to you."

Lisa nodded her agreement and said goodbye to the Commander.

Rick waited until Zoral exited the room before approaching Lisa's bed. "I hope you are not too tired for another visitor and if possible, maybe we can continue our earlier conversation?"

"That would be fine,.. Captain, "came the soft reply from Lisa, "Please won't you sit?"

Rick reclaimed the chair he had sat in the day before and the two regarded one another before Rick broke the silence.

"Did Dr. Wu and Dr. Lang, talk to you about your condition?" he asked.

"Yes, I've been informed, they plan to keep me here for the next two weeks, to help me heal and regain some strength and then have me start some physical therapy."

Rick gave a nod of approval of the plans, "I'm sure you are aware that you on a Zentraedi battle cruiser right now. I would like you to stay on the Velaruse for the next two weeks before we have you moved to the Megaroad. I think in the long term you would be more comfortable there. I've also send a message to Admiral Gloval on your status and of your recovery."

Rick paused as if in thought on whether or not he should continue, but decided to go on, "Lisa, I know that we had many difficulties communicating with one another in the past, I think during our captivity we got to know one another a bit better and I'd like to think we would have become friends if we had both escaped at the same time. I hope that in time you will see me as a friend."

It surprised Rick to hear Lisa laugh after his statement. "Captain Hunter, I can unequivocally state that you are not the same Rick Hunter that I remember from before. Your manners and statements are too well thought out and polite. Nothing like the hot headed, pilot I knew."

Rick couldn't hold back a smile and ran his hand through his dark hair, "Well, yes, I guess you're right, the war, the reconstruction and the politics, has a way of forcing you to grow up fast. "

Lisa nodded her head in agreement, "I know, I was only 16 when I started at the academy. There were still so many pockets of unrest in the world and many anti-UEG attacks, that those of us who grew up in the military life, probably looked at things a lot different than other kids our age."

Rick had a pensive look on his face, "I remember thinking what a bitch you were, always calling me out during patrols and pointing out my mistakes. I just wished you would have lightened up on me a bit. All I wanted to be was a pilot, not caught up in some interstellar war fighting aliens that were bigger and had more technology than us."

"I'm sorry Rick, I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I'll admit I was still put out by that comment that you and Minmei had made about me. To you two, I must have been an ole sourpuss. We were all dealing with something new and I think we were all scared. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course, it was a long time ago and honestly, I couldn't bring myself to think poorly of you after what you did on Dolza's ship. The way you handled Dolza and sacrificing yourself to let us escape, well let's just say that I've admired you for a very long time."

Lisa sighed a small sigh. She was emotionally worn out. The terror of the abuse suffered at the hands of Zentraedi seemed to be just a few shorts weeks ago to her and then to wake and find herself in the future. She felt like Alice in Wonderland, tumbling down the rabbit hole, wondering when she was going to land.

Rick could see that Lisa was tiring. Wishing her a good night, he promised to visit again soon.

Before returning to his quarters, Rick decided to stop by Zoral's quarters. Knowing that he was not in his usual quarters, due to his new micronized size, he asked for directions to Zoral's location.

As he entered the guest quarters Zoral took for himself, Rick wasn't surprised to find Zoral waiting for him.

"Your Lt. Cmdr. Hayes is quite interesting, I can why you and Captain Sterling held her in such high regards." Zoral stated as he offered Rick a seat.

Rick didn't comment, "Zoral, why didn't you tell me that you were planning to micronize yourself?"

"Hmm, I don't really know, it was a last minute decision, but I wanted to meet her for myself. I know that her loss has troubled you over the years and I had heard so much about her, I wanted to meet her myself. Have she told you much about her time on the Zentraedi ship?"

"No, I haven't been able to bring it up yet. You saw her, she's too frail right now. Dr. Lang let me know that her sleep is fitful and that she wakes once or twice in the night. I didn't want to make it worse."

"I understand Captain, but Kronik's files or what was left of them worry me. I think that we will need to press her about what she might have overheard and what she was interrogated over. Even though it was years ago, there maybe knowledge there that we may need for this trip."

Taking Zoral's words under consideration, Rick thank him and also wished him a good night. Zoral was right though, Lisa may have more knowledge of what Dolza was looking for information on and they should try and get that before they moved forward.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the late updates, it's been crazy busy. Thank you again for your continued reading and reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

Over the next two weeks, Lisa spend much of her time recovering from her ordeal. The months of captivity, plus the years in cryofreeze, played a physical toll on her body and Lisa was slowly recovering her strength.

Mentally she was much stronger, the tablet that Zoral provided her had a wealth of information regarding the last 10 years. Unfortunately it was more suited towards civilians and there were many unanswered questions that Lisa had regarding incidents reported in the news over the years. The information focused initially on rescue and recovery for the first couple of years on Earth, as well as rationing plans and population growth. The photos of the mass destruction of cities, towns and the Earth itself were like photos taken from natural disaster movies. While understanding the enormity of the incident, it still felt unreal to Lisa as she had not experienced it herself.

Rick apologize for the lack of clearance to military details concerning the last 10 years and explained to Lisa, that they were working on restoring her military access, but that they were still waiting for the council and some information to come back from the UEG and UN Spacy.

He also informed her that they had been addressing her incorrectly as well, that her last held rank was of Commander and not of Lt. Commander, as they had been referring to her. "We didn't want to slip up, when you woke up and address you as such, we wanted to wait until you had some time to adjust to let you know that you had been promoted after our escape from the Zentraedi."

Lisa protested, saying that it wasn't deserved, but Rick held firm and let her know that it was what the UEG, Captain Gloval and the whole crew of the SDF-1 had supported it and that even if she had not been captured, her promotion had already been in the works.

Given that she could not get what she wanted from the archives yet, Lisa grilled Rick regarding incidents that were reported and he did his best to provide an honest and accurate assessment of those incidents to her. He found that she had a sharp mind and was able to reach to conclusions and reasonings behind many of the military decisions that had been made in those days, much quicker than he had been able to back then. He wondered what it would have been like to have someone like her to help with the reconstruction. It probably wouldn't have kept everyone from overwork but she may have been able to prevent a few less headaches.

As she slowly recovered and the more the two talked, Rick knew that it was time to push for more details regarding her captivity by the Zentraedi. Rick explained how they had come across the old battlefield and how her recovery came to be. He didn't want to distress her about the situation she had been but still asked her to tell him what she could.

Lisa didn't want to talk about it, but knew that she had an obligation to provide those missing details. Dr. Lang and Captain Hunter had both stopped by for a chat when Lisa decided to open up.

"I tried to find another ship to get me home, but after Captain Hunter's escape and the others, they guarded the loading of the supply ships most carefully. I managed to hide myself for a few days, but I wasn't really thinking that well when I was finally captured. I wasn't able to find much edible food, although I did find a clean water source. I was tired, and hungry and stressed when I overheard the guards mention that another ship had docked and that they captured another two pilots. I was worried and decided to investigate myself.

By the time I realized that it was a trap, it was too late. Dolza was not as lenient with me as he was the first time and constantly barraged me with questions regarding the defense capabilities of the SDF-1 and Earth. I told them nothing, and this infuriated Dolza. He turned me over to Kronik who was much more clever in his techniques. I wasn't the only one that was held prisoner in Kronik's cells, there were two other Zentraedi prisoners, who had done something to displease Dolza. While at first they treated me with disdain, our mutual hatred and suffering for Kronik brought us together.

There was another Zentraedi who was our keeper of sorts, who was tasked with keeping us alive and taking us to Kronik when we were summoned. It was Oberon who forced me into that chamber that last day."

"Do you know what happened Lisa?" asked Rick.

Lisa hesitated and then looked up at the two of them, "I think I caused it. I think that they were fighting because of something that I did."

"And what was that Lisa," asked Dr. Lang gently.

"I didn't understand until I read the reports and news on the tablet about Dolza's defeat, but I know that Minmei's song was played over all airwaves distracting the Zentraedi while the attack was being carried out by our armed forces. But I think the same thing happened here, although it wasn't Minmei that caused it, it was me."

Looking at each other and then looking at one another, Rick and Dr. Lang waited for Lisa to continue.

"At first the other two prisoners wouldn't talk to me and they were scared of me, so I started to just talk to pass the time and tell them stories. Not real life stories, but stupid things, like rerun episodes of old sitcoms I used to watch as a child and Disney movies. They really liked those." Lisa couldn't help but laugh a little at the memory. "It was dangerous and stupid if Kronik found out, but I couldn't help it and the Zentraedi lapped it up. Oberon used to yell at me to shut up, but after a few days and the story of Beauty and the Beast, they would badger me for more. I even sang the songs for them as best as I could remember, humming the parts when I couldn't remember the words. I don't know how but word got out, and Oberon even recorded a couple of the stories and the songs to share with his buddies.

They started to ask me more questions about life on Earth and to tell them about the concept of family. It was like a bomb went off in their head and they started to want these things for themselves. I think that word somehow got back to Dolza about what was happening and it was ordered that we be moved from the main fleet. The two other prisoners, Lail and Krell were being sent somewhere and Oberon told me that Dolza was going to keep him and take me back with him once he had destroyed the SDF-1. After we separated and folded from Dolza's main fleet, we travelled for a few months before there was a mutiny. From what I could tell before I was taken from my cell was that some of the fleet wanted to go back and try and save what they could of the culture on Earth, while the commanders tried to keep them on track. The battle cruisers started to fire on one another and at some point, Oberon freed Krell and Lail and took me from my cell. There were two micronized Zentraedi that took me to the cryofreeze chamber. They didn't explain anything to me and I tried to fight them off, but they were much stronger and taller and me."

Lisa stopped in her story and picked up the glass of water and took a long drink before continuing. "Oberon, he said something to me though after I was locked in. I couldn't hear him that clearly, and I've been trying to decipher it since I woke up. I think that he said, "We will come back for you."

Lisa looked at both Rick and Dr. Lang. "Do you think it's possible, do you think that they could come back?"

Both Rick and Dr. Lang looked at one with concern, and Rick replied, "We don't know Lisa, it's been over 8 years since you were left here. It could be possible."

Lisa shuddered, "I hope not, I hope that they believed that I perished out here. How much longer do we need to stay here?"

"We were just waiting for you to recover and for the cleanup to be completed, there won't be much for them to come back to if they return." answered Rick.

"Are your plans to follow them?" asked Lisa.

"Our mission is clear Lisa, and yes, the plan was to search for the Robotech Masters homeworld. I think we need to follow the Zentraedi's back. " Rick answered gently, knowing that it probably wasn't what she wanted to hear.

There was a knock on the door and Zoral entered the room, He greeted the Captain Hunter and Dr. Lang and presented a bouquet of flowers to Lisa. Lisa smiled at the pretty yellow and white flowers that Zoral gave her and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. Rick didn't know why but it irritated him that Zoral had given her flowers and that he felt that he should have done something like that first.

He cleared his throat and Zoral and Lisa both looked at him. "I'm sorry to interrupt Zoral, but Commander Hayes was telling us more about her time on the Zentraedi ship."

Zoral nodded his understanding and turned back to Lisa who was examining the flowers in her hand.

"Zoral, are these native to your lands?" she asked, as she smoothed a finger over the petals.

Zoral smiled to see Lisa enjoying the pretty blooms. "No, these are a hybrid flower, created by taking some of the hardier flowers on Earth that survived and modifying it to survive in harsher climates as we don't know what worlds we may need to help to terraform to make it hospitable for life."

Lisa continued to stare and the large white and yellow blooms, they looked similar to lilies but the fragrance was not as overpowering.

As she continued to stroke the petals, Lisa's face turned thoughtful and looked up at Zoral, "Dolza and Kronik, they kept asking me something about a flower. They punished me for not knowing, accusing me of lying and keeping knowledge from them. I tried to tell them that I didn't know what they were talking about. Zoral, do you know what they meant?"

Zoral looked like a trapped mouse. The question was obviously unexpected and he was caught unawares of how to answer. It didn't escape Rick's notice and he turned to face Zoral more directly.

"Zoral, if there is something you and Exedore are hiding from us, you better tell us now." Rick commanded.

Zoral looked stricken at his comment, "No, Captain it's nothing like that. If we thought that there was any danger, we would have told you and the UEG."

"Zoral, if there is something you think we need to know it would be a good idea to share that information now." Rick spoke firmly but their was anger in his tone, he hadn't expected that Zoral and Exedore to withhold information. Humans and Zentraedi had been allies now for many years now and he considered them to be friends.

Zoral didn't flinch from Rick's command. He responded in a calm manner, "Lord Exedore should explain more, but it sounds like Dolza was looking for confirmation whether or not there were flowers on Earth that were capable of producing protoculture. As you know we use it sparingly when we need to given that there is no current way for us to make more. You can be sure that if the flower was there, Dolza would not have destroyed Earth. It is believed that Zor's ship, the SDF-1 carried the spores but in our time spent on Earth, we have not seen any evidence of that. Be happy that is the case, for there are others out there that also want to use the Flowers of Life."

Rick swore, "Dammit, Zoral, you and Exedore should have told us this. I need to go find Exedore and get details about this back to Earth. I'll deal with you later."

Turning to Lisa, Rick gave her a grim smile, "Thank you Commander Hayes, the information you provided was quite useful, I'll relay back what you've told us and give them warning about that flower. We don't need others coming on the hunt for us on Earth if they think it may be on Earth. Excuse me."

With that, Rick left the room in a hurry to get what he needed from Exedore and to send Admiral Gloval a message.

* * *

AN: I know it's been a while, is just been crazy busy. Thanks for hanging in there and I hope you enjoy the update.


	12. Chapter 12

Rick hurried to the infirmary, he was late for a meeting with Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu to talk about Lisa's progress. Gathering information from Zoral and Exedore regarding the Flower of Life had taken longer than he expected and sending it in a cohesive report to Admiral Gloval and the UEG even longer. He hated dealing with the paperwork that came with his position and many times wished he could push it onto someone else.

Entering the conference room, he apologized to the two doctors for the delay.

Dr. Wu just smiled and let him know that there was no issue with his tardiness and got straight to the heart of the matter.

"Captain Hunter, Commander Hayes has made much progress the last two weeks, enough that she can be discharged. However, we are concerned with her wellbeing, and wanted to make some recommendations regarding her transition to the Megaroad."

Rick nodded in agreement and gave the her the motion to continue.

Dr. Wu shared a look with Dr. Lang and continued. "We are concerned that Commander Hayes is not yet well enough to be without some care and do not think that she should be alone at night. She still suffers from nightmares, even though she does not seem to be aware of them. What were your plans when we return to the Megaroad."

"Hmm, I had thought to give her quarters in the officer's section of the ship. Do you think that we would need to hire a nurse for the next couple of weeks? I do not think that Commander Hayes would like that." asked Rick with a frown.

"I am sure we can find a solution," Dr. Wu said soothingly, "I just wish that she had someone that she could stay with. It would make Dr. Lang and I feel much better. Do you think that she could stay with the Captain Sterlings?"

Rick laughed and shook his head no, "I don't think Commander Hayes would get much rest there. Maia is a very active child and their place is too small."

A thought came to Rick and as soon as it came, he tried to push it away. It wouldn't make sense, but before he could stop himself, he heard himself asking, "What if Commander Hayes stayed with me, I have an extra bedroom and would be there enough to help her out until she's more adjusted to the Megaroad and could make some decisions about her future."

Dr. Lang smiled, "That is an excellent idea, Captain. Dr. Wu and I were very concerned. While Lisa seems to be doing well, once she leaves the security of the infirmary, she will need to actively adjust to the new timeframe. It would be very helpful for her to have someone to help her through that time. I don't think that you will need me to explain though, if it's okay we will let you inform Commander Hayes of these decisions?"

"What? Why me?" asked Rick puzzled.

Dr. Wu just laughed, "Well sir, you are actually one of the few people that could pull rank on her. She doesn't know anyone else, and honestly she puts up a brave front, but Lisa could use some support right now."

Rick ran his hand through his hair. It was something he did when he was troubled by something and while he told himself that he was just helping out a friend and fellow officer, he was actually excited to think about having Lisa in his home. He squelched those feelings, not knowing where they came from and replied gruffly, "Fine, I'll tell her. "

Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu left to make arrangements for their own return to the Megaroad and left Rick to inform Lisa of their decisions.

Rick took a few minutes to gather himself, and thought about the message that he received from Admiral Gloval only that morning. It had taken that long for his second message regarding Lisa's recovery to be received and returned. He had hoped to hear something sooner from Earth, but knew as their distance from Earth grew so would the transmission times for communications between the two.

The video communication from the Admiral was fairly short, in it Admiral Gloval had thanked Rick for finding "his girl" and that everyone hoped that her recovery was going well.

He let him know that additional communications would be coming in regards to handling her reinstatement as well her financial status. He asked that Rick take care of her and that they both return safely one day to Earth. Rick had seen the emotion on the Admiral's face and realized how much weight seemed to have come off the Admiral's shoulders to know that Commander Hayes's whereabouts and safety were know.

The other communications come in, had come in for Commander Hayes and Rick felt that information coming in from Earth, may be enough to distract her from letting her know about her new living conditions.

Rick knocked on the door to her room, and waited for her answer to enter.

Lisa, sitting up in her bed, looked tired and pale, and Rick frowned a bit to see her looking so.

Seeing him frown, she explained, "Oh I just returned from some physical therapy. After being frozen and with the injuries, I am just not in my best condition. I hope that I will be able to recover quickly."

Lisa didn't know why she was explaining herself to him. Sometimes she would catch Rick watching her. It didn't necessarily make her uncomfortable, she just didn't know why he did it so often. This Rick was a complete 180 degree of the Rick she previously known and she sometimes wondered if the boy she knew was still in there somewhere. She understood how the constant threat of war and unrest could change someone, and felt a sort of sadness for the loss of the young man he had been.

Rick didn't know where to begin. He felt awkward and unsure of himself. Knowing Lisa was waiting for him to explain his visit, he cleared his throat and started. "Well, uh, um, I met with Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu this morning, as you know, our plans were only to stay on the Velaruse until you could be moved to the Megaroad. We feel that it would be better for you to start your reintegration there as the Velaruse is a Zentraedi vessel and not truly equipped for humans."

Lisa couldn't help but look excited, "Oh it will be nice to be able to get out and see how things have changed myself."

Rick was glad that Lisa felt ready to move on and so he continued. "I received communication from Admiral Gloval, there is one for you too, but I didn't listen to it. Anyway, the Admiral is ecstatic about your recovery. Your military clearance and status has been reinstated, although you will need to pass the officer's testing in order to go back to an active status."

Lisa smiled, "I understand sir, I look forward to it."

Rick ran his hand through his hair and continued, "Admiral Gloval also let me know that there is no need for you to reenlist if you choose not to. You can start over on the Megaroad as a civilian if you want to." Rick watched Lisa's face for a reaction as he dropped that little nugget. It had surprised him as well, Admiral Gloval had said that while him and Commander Grant had continued to fight for Lisa's status to remain as MIA over the years, there had been others who wanted her to be declared legally dead. He hadn't known why, but apparently there were records enough of the Hayes holdings and finances that would make others very wealthy in the new world if Lisa no longer existed.

His statement surprised Lisa and she seemed taken aback by the option. "Civilian huh? I hadn't even thought of it." she said softly to herself.

Not wanting to force her to make any decision yet, Rick pushed on. "There is still time yet to make those decisions, in the meantime you still need to recover. Currently you are in no shape to pass those tests and you will need to learn all the new rules and regulations before you can be fully reinstated for active duty"

Lisa gave Rick a look that he remembered quite clearly from before, one that used to cause fear and panic in him. "Don't worry Captain, I am sure that I will be able to pass those tests with flying colors."

Rick grunted an acknowledgement and then continued. "One last thing, I've conferred with the doctors on this and we've decided that on your return to the Megaroad that it would be helpful for you to have some help until you are fully recovered."

Lisa protested, "Oh, I don't think that would be necessary, do you? Anyway, I don't know of anyone that I would feel comfortable with sharing quarters with."

Rick, not wanting to give away how he felt about the situation just gave Lisa an apologetic smile and said, "We've solved that for you too. You will be staying with me until you've been cleared medically."

"What?" Lisa protested, "No, I couldn't possibly. It would be terribly awkward for the both of us. I can take care of myself, what reason could you have to make this arrangement, " Lisa asked angrily. "What would people say?"

Rick stood to leave the room, "Commander Hayes, this is not for discussion. This was the best solution we could come up with and I am sure that you will be settled into your own quarters soon. You are still in need of someone to help you with recovery and there is no one else that can be spared to help as you are recovered enough to be released from the medical ward. There is plenty of room in my quarters and I'm sure that people would understand. Especially all the you have given up and lost in the last 10 years."

"Captain Hunter, Rick, I know you think you need to repay me somehow but you don't need to put yourself out like this. I am sure that I would be okay in my own quarters." protested Lisa.

"Commander Hayes, please do not upset yourself about this. It's not a big deal unless you make it a big deal. It will only be for a few weeks, I promise. We need to get your situation sorted out, and get you back on track. "

This still didn't feel right to Lisa. She hated to impose on others and it especially felt awkward to be staying with the Captain! She admitted to herself that she didn't want to be alone, but staying with Rick, well made her feel something different. If she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she had developed a little bit of a crush on the Captain and that staying with him, could either cure her of her crush, or intensify it. She realized that she didn't really know anything personal about him and that most of their discussions had centered around the events that happened over the last 10 years. Lisa had never been one to pry into other's relationships in order to keep them from prying into her life. As long as she could keep that distance and maintain her professional attitude, she could make it work for a few weeks.

Not wanting to argue anymore about the situation, Lisa agreed to the living situation and promised herself that she would only stay there for a few weeks.

* * *

AN: Thoughts?


	13. Chapter 13

Lisa couldn't help but to steal small glances at Captain Hunter as they walked down the long hallway towards the officer's quarters. A slight frown graced his face and he didn't say much since greeting her at the landing bay earlier when the shuttle had finally delivered her from the Velaruse to the Megaroad. She wondered if he was unhappy with the situation and whether he regretted the offer of letting her stay with him during her recovery.

Looking back at Max and Miriya, who was following behind them, she also noticed that they were watching Rick with some concern and were whispering back and forth between the two. She wished she could hear what they were saying, but they had stepped back far enough from the two of them that she couldn't hear their conversation, but had a good guess that she was the subject of their whispered conversations.

Lisa had been very pleased to find Max and Miriya waiting with Rick as she had exited the shuttle. She knew no one except for Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu who travelled with her back to the Megaroad on the shuttle. Captain Hunter had already returned to the Megaroad a few days earlier to attend to business that awaited him on the ship but had assured her that he would be there to pick her up on her arrival. She noticed that the shuttle she returned on, did not dock at the main launch bay and was redirected to a smaller dock and that there were no others around when they landed. She wondered about the extra security being taken and why her return would warrant such a thing. Her hypothesis was that her recovery was not well known and that for some reason it was being kept a secret from the crew.

It didn't seem that anything had been kept from Max and Miriya though and almost as soon as she exited the shuttle and greeted Captain Hunter with a military salute, Max had stepped forward to reintroduce himself. With a big smile on his face, he had greeted her with a salute and after taking a quick glance at Rick, Lisa found herself given a great big hug by Captain Sterling. Lisa had been surprised at first, but Max gave her a tight squeeze and said, "I know it's not protocol Commander Hayes, but I couldn't help it.. It's really, really good to see you again."

A slight cough from Rick, and Max carefully put Lisa back on the ground. Lisa found that she had tears in her eyes and realized that Max's greeting was exactly what she needed and in a teary voice, she replied. "Thank you Captain Sterling, it does feel great to be back"

Max just nodded in agreement and said, "Just call me Max okay, we aren't on duty right now."

"Only if you do the same and call me Lisa," replied Lisa with a slightly shaky voice.

Keeping an arm around her, Max turned her to introduce her to Miriya, who was surprisingly patient in meeting Lisa.

"Lisa, I'd like to introduce you to my wife Miriya," Max stated proudly.

Lisa had barely gotten to put a hand out when she found herself being hugged again by the other Captain Sterling while talking to her a mile a minute, "I'm very happy to meet you Commander Hayes, I hope you will call me Miriya and that we will become good friends. I have heard a lot of you from my Max and Rick over the years and how much you mean to them and I want to also thank you for your sacrifice since it made it possible for me to meet Max and get married and have children. I am sorry that you suffered much from my people, I hope that you'll find how much the Zentraedi prefer their lives now over their previous warlike existence."

It was a lot to take in but Lisa responded graciously to Miriya's exuberant greeting and returned her hug. "Thank you Miriya for the warm welcome. I hope you won't regret your offer to be friends, I'm sure that I'm going to have a lot of questions for you about life on the Megaroad."

Rick gave another small cough and they all turned towards them, "I'm sure Commander Hayes is tired after the flight, maybe we can continue this conversation once she's settled in." Rick made a motion that they were going to head into the ship from the landing bay and he fell in step with Lisa as they moved forward.

Other than some cursory conversation at the start of their walk about her flight, there was little other conversation until they reached Rick's quarters.

Captain Hunter paused at the door and setting his hand on the biometric reader, the door beeped and a small light beside the reader turned from red to green before the door slide open.

Rick paused before entering the room and said to Lisa, "We'll setup your fingerprints once you've settled in, but please come in and make yourself at home."

He gestured for her to enter and Lisa found herself in a pleasantly large living room. The living spaces for the Captain were well above the normal enlisted personnel. The walls were a light grey color and a large brown sectional leather couch sat in the middle of the room facing a large television monitor mounted to the wall. A console table was tucked underneath the TV. Away in one corner of the room was a large bookcase and desk that sat another large monitor.

Rick watched as Lisa took in the large room. She didn't say anything as she looked around. He watched as she slowly made her way into the room, "Not much for decorating Captain Hunter?" Lisa asked with a smile noticing the bare walls and lack of personal objects. Rick just ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath of air, "No not really, I guess I uh never really got the time."

Lisa walked around the rest of the room and stopped in front of the large bookcase. Realizing what Lisa was looking at, Rick walked over to the bookcase.

"Is that?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, that's his. Claudia wanted me to take it, she said he would have wanted me to have it." "It" was the grey and blue helmet of Roy Fokker, Rick's big brother who died in battle prior to the SDF-1's return to Earth.

Lisa turned to Rick and placed a her hand on his arm. "I'm really sorry for your loss Rick, Roy was a good man, he taught me a lot about flying and was a great friend and teacher."

"Thank you Lisa, maybe later you can share some stories of him with me."

Rick placed his hand over Lisa's hand and was about to say something when Miriya entered from the kitchen announcing that tea was ready. Breaking apart the two took a seat, Lisa joining Miriya on the couch, while Rick took a seat in a chair that Max had pulled out from the dining table.

As they all enjoyed the break and the hot beverage, Miriya asked Lisa what her plans were. Rick sat up to hear her answer. After dropping the news that Lisa didn't need to necessarily return to military duty, he was curious as to what Lisa was planning to do. He was happy to hear Lisa respond to Miriya that she planned to retest for active service and whether or not Miriya could help her regain the strength needed to pass the physical portion of the test. Both Max and Miriya were happy to agree to help and also help in any way they could in passing the flying portion of the test. Rick was glad to hear Lisa making plans to meet with Miriya the next day when he remembered that they were required at another meeting.

"I'm sorry Lisa, Miriya - before you two meet tomorrow, I need to take Lisa in front of the council." In an apologetic tone to Lisa, Rick continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't hold them off til you had been onboard a few more days but Colonels Maistroff, Wulf and Lee wanted to meet with you. "

"No apologies Captain, I understand, I'm surprised that they even gave me a day to settle in and didn't demand that I come to see them right after I got off the shuttle. Don't worry I know what those three are about and I'm sure their spots haven't changed much in the last 10 years."

Rick was glad to hear that Lisa didn't need to be warned about what to expect tomorrow. The four spent another 20 minutes chatting before Max and Miriya got up to take their leave. Before they left though Miriya asked Rick if she could show Lisa the guestroom. Rick was glad to let Miriya show her the room that she would be using for her stay .

The two bedrooms in the quarters were on opposite sides of a each other down a short hallway, with the bathroom being at the end of the hallway. Miriya excitedly opened the door to a beautifully decorated room with light blue walls, a queen size bed with cream colored duvet and cream and blue pillows. A small dresser and vanity took up one side of the wall. A small end table sat next to the bed with a large glass pillar style lamp with a grey colored lampshade sitting on top. Lisa couldn't help but gasp and responded with, "the room is beautiful, thank you Rick for letting me stay here."

Rick just gave a nod and a smile, "Trust me Lisa, I am happy that you're here. Miriya helped decorate the room, so really you have her to thank."

Miriya stepped in at that point and pulled Lisa into the room. "Yes, you should have seen this room, it was bare with only a few boxes in it!" As she began to show Lisa the room and her choices, Lisa looked at Rick a bit questioning. Who would make this much effort for a guest? The furniture and beddings were of top quality for someone who would just be there for a few weeks.

Lisa made all the appropriate noises to Miriya's rundown of the changes and was relieved when Max finally pulled Miriya away. "Dear, I think it's time we left and let Lisa rest a bit."

After the four said their goodbyes, Rick walked Max and Miriya to the door leaving Lisa a chance to absorb the changes on her own.

Lisa couldn't believe the effort that had been made on her behalf. She didnt know what to think and found herself standing in front of some of the frames on the wall. Taking a closer look at the photos, she realized that there were photos of her with Claudia and others with her friends on the SDF-1.

"I found those pictures in some of Roy's things. Claudia had copies of them already and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. I thought they might help you not feel so homesick."

Lisa turned around quickly when Rick started talking. He had surprised her by returning so fast and seeing the sad look on her face, he stepped into the room closer to her and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you with them though...

Lisa ran a finger below her left eye, catching a tear that had started to make it's way down her cheek, and shook her head, "No Rick, I'm not upset. I am overwhelmed by your kindness." Waving her hand around the room, "All of this is so unexpected and I didn't expect any of this. And the photos... they are lovely, I am very glad to see them again. Thank you Rick."

Not really knowing what to do in the situation, whether to hug her or just to leave her alone, Rick reached out his hand and gave her a small pat to her shoulder. "It's really not much Lisa, it's the least that Max and I could do for you. Now why don't you get some rest and I'll go pick up some food from the dining hall for our dinner unless you want to go down there to eat?"

Lisa shook her head, "I don't think I'm ready for that. If you don't mind I'll just take a little nap first."

Rick nodded his head in agreement and before leaving her said, "By the way, Miriya suppiled a few clothes for you. She had to guess at the size but hopefully something will fit. I think that there are some pajama's in the dresser there and the bathroom is next door. We'll have to take you shopping in the next couple of days to get you what you need. I'll let you know when I am back with dinner."

Lisa closed the bedroom door softly behind Rick and sat on the bed. The room was truly beautiful and was very much in her style and taste. She was lost in thought for a while, her mind still reeling from the changes. She finally shook herself out of her stupor, giving herself the pep talk she had always given herself when faced with new and challenging situations and then finally taking herself to the dresser to discover what kind of pajamas Miriya had thought Lisa would like.

* * *

AN: Truly sorry for the long delays in updates. Thanks for hanging in there with me.


	14. Chapter 14

Lisa sighed and did what she could to adjust the new uniform to fit her better. A bit of tailoring will need to be done to get the uniform to fit correctly. While she understood the practicality of wearing pants instead of a skirt especially on a starship, she questioned why no one thought to change the color.

"White pants are never easy to wear, especially ones as form fitting as these," thought Lisa as she turned around to look at her backside in the mirror. The sides of the white uniform were yellow as were the sleeves. Over the uniform, Lisa wore a long sleeved, white capelet with blue epaulets and blue stripes to indicate her rank as Commander. A small blue UN Spacy emblem was embroidered on the right side of the chest. While she had not yet been fully reinstated to active duty, Captain Hunter and Dr. Lang had thought it best for Lisa to appear in front of the council in regulation uniform. White leather, low heeled boots finished her outfit, and Lisa was glad those at least fit properly.

She had to admit she felt better than she had in a long time, donning the uniform had returned a sense of normalcy to her. Lisa recognized that the uniform had always given her a sense of safety and belonging as she had always wore a uniform since her days as a schoolgirl attending private school to when she joined the joined the military academy at sixteen.

Taking a final in the mirror and running her hands over her pinned up hair a final time, Lisa exited the bedroom into the living room. Seeing Captain Hunter, also in uniform, staring out into space from the big bay window behind the desk that was in the living room, Lisa cleared her throat to get his attention.

Rick turned around at the noise and nodded to see Commander Hayes standing in front of him.

Lisa quickly gave a smart salute and announced, "Commander Hayes reporting for duty, sir."

"At ease Commander," commanded Captain Hunter. Lisa smoothly transitioned her stance and waited for her Captain to speak. Rick took a moment to take in the changes, the uniform and the low bun Lisa had styled her hair in. While different from the loose locks he was used to seeing, he noted that the bun displayed her fine high cheekbones, clear skin and bright green eyes better than the long hair she somewhat used as a shield.

Rick couldn't help but remember the many times he had stood in front of her in salute or at ease waiting for instructions. He was impressed how natural it came to her. Even after these many years in service, he never felt he had the composure that Lisa exhibited.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked as he stepped closer to her.

"Yes, I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. Meetings with the Council are best to be done with as soon as possible." replied Lisa with a wry smile.

Rick couldn't help but chuckle and agree with her and then added, "I'm surprised to hear you say that, I was always under the impression that you always followed orders from the council."

Lisa flushed a little angrily at the seemingly innocuous comment and said a bit starchly, "That may be true, but there are ways to get the orders to be in line with one's objectives than not."

Rick held up both his hands in defense, "I didn't mean anything by it, in fact Gloval shared with me a few incidences in which your solutions became "orders from the Council."

Not wanting to the drag the conversation out longer, Lisa gave a tight smile and asked, "Do you think we should leave now?"

As Captain Hunter and Commander Hayes walked through the corridors of the ship, Rick pointed out areas of interest to Lisa and gave her a brief tour. There were many curious looks given along with the general greetings and salutes that they were met with. Lisa was an unknown figure to those on base and it wasn't often that Captain Hunter was seen with a woman.

As they headed to the Council Room, unbeknownst to Rick a pair of keen blue eyes noticed the Captain and the unknown woman in the Commander's uniform approaching. The two were engaged in some type of conversation and Captain Hunter was speaking to his companion more expressively than he had with anyone she had ever seen him with, besides Max and Miriya of course.

She quickly pulled back a few feet into an adjacent corridor and pulled from her uniform pocket a high definition camera and quickly took a few auto shots hoping one of them would be clear enough for her to identify the brown haired lady walking with Captain Hunter. She watched as they entered the Council chambers. Knowing that a Council meeting could take hours even for a minor thing, the photographer hurried to her office to download the photos and see if she figure out the new Commander's identity.

Captain Hunter and Commander Hayes were issued into the conference room. Large display monitors surrounded the top of the walls and in the center a long mahogany conference table already set for the discussion. They took a seat at the table and Rick watched as Lisa poured herself a tall glass of water from the carafe and set it next to her. She offered to pour Rick a glass as well, but he declined. He was anxious to get this interview over with and get back to his duties. He never felt comfortable addressing the council, they had always been at odds with Rick, complaining to Admiral Gloval of his lack of tack, somewhat abrasive attitude and general disrespect of the Council. Unfortunately, his hero status with the general population and respect earned from his peers and colleagues in the military left the Council little choice to allow his selection as Captain to the Megaroad to be approved.

It wasn't long before another side door opened and the three Generals walked in. Rick and Lisa quickly stood and saluted the Generals before being allowed to be reseated.

General Maistroff, a tall man with greying brown hair, was the first to speak, greeting Lisa in a warm familiar manner, "Commander Hayes, may I say on behalf of UN Spacy and the Council, we welcome you back home and hope that you have recovered sufficiently to be able to share your ordeal with us. We were all very relieved to hear of your recovery and hope that we find you back in active status quickly." Taking a quick glance at Rick and then to Lisa, Maistroff continued, "Good leadership is never lacking in command and the Council has much respect in your abilities in this area. "

Rick wasn't surprised but was stunned that they Council was opening implying that if they had a chance to replace Rick in command that they would, and was about to open his mouth to respond when he heard Lisa speak up first.

"Council Members, thank you for the warm welcome, at this time I am still considering all options for my future, but come before you today to relay my experience with the Zentraedi. I hope the information shared may still provide value to the Megaroad's mission. I have been quite impressed with the magnitude of operation that the exploratory forces are tasked with and from what I have read of records and what have seen so far, I am impressed with _all_ the officers in command and could not see any better choices than the ones the Council has made."

Colonel Lee at this point, interjected, smiled and said, "Of course Commander Hayes, Colonel Maistroff meant no disrespect to the Captain here, only that a top notch former graduate of the military and Robotech Academy can only help but to improve and enforce the ideals and traditions the military hold."

Lisa didn't say much, just nodded her head graciously indicating that she acknowledged the comment and waited for the generals to continue with their interrogation.

* * *

As they left the Council room, Rick couldn't help but notice the fatigue on Lisa's face and tried to lighten the mood.

"I think that may have been the best council meeting I have ever been at, it seems that in finding you Commander Hayes, I actually did something that the Council approves of."

Rick was rewarded by a laugh from Lisa and he realized that she probably hadn't laughed much since she had been captured and recovered. Her laughter made him smile in return and they both found themselves laughing about their shared ordeal with the Council.

Making their way back to base quarters, Rick asked Lisa what she had planned for the remainder of the day. Happy to discuss her plans with him, she explained that she was to meet with the academy councillors to get her study materials to retake the test and then she was going to go through the electronic transmissions that had been sent to her from Earth. Rick commented that he was surprised that she had not gone through them yet. Lisa took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.

"Don't get me wrong Captain, I am very excited to hear the transmission from Admiral Gloval and from Claudia and the rest of the girls, it's just that I didn't want to do it while I was still on the Velaruse. Being able to see and review that information on my own time without everyone hovering over me and allowing me to acclimate on my accord is what I need."

Rick nodded his head in understanding, listening to Lisa openly speak about her thought process and plans to move forward. He had not known her enough on the SDF-1 to be privy to these types of conversation and her thought analysis. Her thoughts and actions were well thought out but he did seem to note some emotional detachment from her on the subject. It was as if she was going through the motions as was expected of her and he wondered if returning to the military was what she really wanted.

Lisa couldn't help but to to be drawn to the man walking with her. This Rick Hunter was an enigma to her, from accounts she had read, Rick had played a key role in the war with the Zentradi and in the recovery process. He was not the boastful pilot she knew of long ago and very much admired this Rick Hunter who she found to be smart, analytical and thoughtful in his ways. It didn't hurt him that he had grown physically as well and carried himself confidently. She had noted in the meeting with Colonels that he did not allow them to put words in his mouth or lead him into saying something he did not feel or believe and it had impressed the hell out of her.

While Rick changed dramatically over the last 10 years, Lisa wondered how he saw her. In essence, who she was now was almost the same as she was 10 years ago. Although their conversations since her recovery had been pleasant and there was none of the bickering that they had shared before, she wondered if Rick remembered their disagreements of the past and that at one time called her an "ole sourpuss" and a "weasel"

Her captivity had given her time to self reflect and she had found herself ashamed of behavior after Karl's death and how she cut herself off from well meaning family and friends and developing an Ice Queen persona. Lisa was naturally quite shy and tended to keep to herself. During her recovery on the Velaruse, it was a personality defect that she wanted to work on and that she would make the most of her second chance.

* * *

Elsewhere on base, long fingers tapped the table impatiently as the facial recognition program was still running. The initial search results had not yielded a hit and Sue was impatient to discover who Captain Hunter was with. Her search parameters of new recruits, officers and females under the age of 30 had not been successful. The woman had looked familiar and it nagged at Sue that she couldn't be placed.

Frustrated with her lack of success, Sue once again widened her search parameters to only exclude males, hoping that the net was cast wide enough to get a bite. An hour later, Sue was pleased to hear the ding that indicated a match had been found. Putting down the coffee that she had poured and had been slowly drinking as she waited, Sue turned back to her computer to review the results.

Her eyes widened in disbelief in what was displayed on the screen. Surprised by the results, she tried to access the file only to find that it had been marked as confidential and needed a much higher clearance than she had to access it. Annoyed that she would need to find someone help her "unlock" the file, the only information that was accessible was a name and the words MIA.

* * *

AN: Thank you all for hanging in there with me on this. Sorry I'm not updating as fast as I used to be able to. Love and appreciate all the reviews, comments and words of encouragement. It really helps me to keep going


	15. Chapter 15

"I think that is all for day, meeting is adjourned."

Rick looked over the conference table at his senior staff. He watched as they gathered their tablets and coffee mugs and listened to the the general chit chat that started once everyone started moving on with their day.

Final reports had declared that everything of value from the battlesight had been stripped by the Zentraedi forces and the Megaroad and that the next course following the trail of fold particles had been mapped and that the expedition was ready to move forward in it's mission. In a day or two they would fold to their next destination and final preparations were being made.

Satisfied with the progress the teams had made, Captain Hunter left the meeting room, to head to the bridge for a few hours before returning to his quarters.

* * *

Elsewhere on base, Lisa had finished meeting with the UN Spacy Academy counselors to gather and review the requirements for her reinstatement to active service. Glancing through the material, Lisa knew that it would not take her long to be ready to take the exam portion of the test, but passing the physical might take her a bit longer and would need to setup a training schedule to be in shape to pass the next testing round. Lisa thought of Miriya's offer of assistance and realized that she would need her help if she wanted to be ready in time.

It felt good for Lisa to have a goal to accomplish, it helped her to stay busy and to not focus on the abuse that she had gone through with the Zentraedi. She didn't want to admit that during her recovery she had tried to do everything she could to forget what she had gone through. Thin, silvery lines that crisscrossed her back were the only physical reminder of what she had endured but sometimes she could remember the lick of the whip as it crossed her back and the burning pain she had suffered as it healed.

Lost in her thoughts, she was surprised to find herself in front of Captain Hunter's quarters and she let herself in and dropped her materials into her room before returning to the kitchen to see what the state of things in the refrigerator and cupboards were. Lisa had discovered earlier that there were few food supplies in the kitchen and that Captain Hunter survived by eating in the officer's mess hall and occasionally taken meals with Max and Miriya. There were a few items like cereal and yogurt that was in the fridge that could easily be eaten for breakfast and a can or two of soup for emergency purposes. Lisa shook her head and she inventoried the items and make a list of fresh items that she would look into getting. Lisa had enjoyed cooking on Earth and on the SDF-1 when time allowed and decided to thank the captain with a few home cooked meals. She also thought she could make extra to store in the freezer to leave him with when she moved onto her own quarters.

Lisa placed the order of groceries into the tablet and set a delivery time frame to have the items delivered to the Captain's quarters and used the credit code that Rick had left for her to use to have the items billed to him. She jotted down the amount spent, planning to reimburse his once her own credit code had been reestablished.

She smiled thinking of the long video messages she had finally reviewed from Admiral Gloval and from Claudia and was thankful that they two of them had held on to the hope that she would be recovered. Not only did they ensure that her military status remained unchanged, they also protected her personal assets and mementos as well from the Hayes family. There was enough funds to see her through her lifetime even if she chose to leave the military and not return to work. It was nice to know that she had options, but knew that she wanted to continue her military career although in what capacity she was unsure of. She had a lot to thank them for and hoped one day she could return the favor.

There had also been a short video from her father Admiral Hayes. It was taken shortly before the final Zentradi attack. He had looked tired and drawn in the video, and in it told her that he never lost hope in that she would survive, and that if she had truly passed away that he would know it in his heart. The Admiral seemed resigned that he would not make it through the final assault but wanted Lisa to know how much he loved her and how proud her was of her. She had cried silently as she rewatched the video many times realizing that these would be his final words for her. Lisa wished that she could have had one last time with her father to say goodbye, but would have to be satisfied with the video.

Not wanting to dwell too much on a past she couldn't change, Lisa started to read through the new materials she received from the academy. Rick had let her know that he would return to accompany her to dinner that night, but if the supplies came as planned, Lisa planned to have something ready before his return.

* * *

Sue rolled her eyes as she listened to the other person on the phone list the reasons that they couldn't help her access Commander Hayes's personnel file. All she had gotten so far was that Commander Hayes had joined the Megaroad a day or two ago no one knew how someone who had been reported Missing In Action ten years ago, could have appeared in the middle of space and now onboard the Megaroad. Unfortunately, since this was not an official type of investigation and more curiosity on the part of Sue, she wasn't surprised that roadblocks were being put up.

While curious about the mysterious addition, Sue really wanted more information about Commander Hayes and Captain Hunter's relationship. Sue and Rick had gone on a few dates early on in months after the Megaroad launch but didn't go anywhere further than a few dinner dates. Captain Hunter had broken things off stating that he was just too busy to be involved with anyone at the time and while cordial to Sue when they ran into each other on base or at an event. Sue hadn't wanted to give up so easily and thought that if she gave Rick the space that he needed that one day they might rekindle a romance once things on the Megaroad settled down. Unfortunately that hadn't happened yet but Sue still held out on hope Rick might still be hers one day.

Sue was an excellent video journalist and her role on the mission was to record the major events both military and civilian and was given a lot of leeway in what she deemed of historical value for the future. She wasn't averse to using her contacts to keep tabs on Captain Hunter's life and wondered if Commander Hayes appearance had to do with the time he had been spending the Velaruse. Seeing that as a possible investigative course, Sue reinserted the earbud into her ear and contacted an old friend serving on the Velaruse.

* * *

Rick headed back to his quarters after a long day. He had received a call from the Council letting him know that they had decided to throw a Welcome Home event for Commander Hayes in a week's time and that he had to inform her of the dinner and ball that was to be held in her honor.

Maistroff had inferred Commander Hayes recovery was a good way to improve moral and give both the base and the civilians something to celebrate and look forward to. Rick didn't think Lisa would feel the same way, and gruffly agreed to give her the message.

They would postpone the fold until after the ball and allow both civilian and military personnel a break from their usual routine. Maistroff also let Rick know that he would be assigning Lt. Sue Graham to cover the event and that both him and Lisa would need to allow her to interview them for the video and written article that would come out once the ball was announced.

Rick just shook his head and decided he would tell Lisa over dinner. He planned to take her to one of the smaller mess halls until she was ready to face the larger crowds. Not many people had seen her yet but Rick knew it could only be a few more days until all eyes were going to be on her.

Rick reached the door to his quarters and applied his hand to the biometric reader. The door opened silently and Rick was greeted with a wonderful smell. Eager to find the source, Rick looked in the kitchen to find Lisa bopping along to a current pop song on the radio while checking in a pot on the stove.

Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail and she was styled in a black v-neck t-shirt and a pair of grey leggings. He had never seen her looking so casual and noted how young she actually looked. It gave him pause. He had always thought of her being older than him especially when they talked of old times and seeing her in uniform, but in regular street clothing, it hit him that she was only 25 at the most even though her chronological age was closer to 35. He liked seeing her like this and continued to be fascinated with the different sides of Lisa.

Not wanting to scare her especially with the stove on, Rick knocked loudly on the doorway frame to the kitchen. Lisa turned to him with a wide grin and said, "If it's okay, I thought we would eat in instead."

"Everything smells great Lisa, thank you for doing this, we could have just gone to the mess hall though." Rick eyed the various pots on the stove and wondered how long it had taken her to prepare the meal.

"Trust me, I don't mind not going to the mess hall quite yet and I missed cooking, I had to relook up a few things, but once I got going it was hard for me to stop. Dinner is about ready, so how about you change and wash up and we can eat when you return."

"Sounds great, I'll be back in a few to help you set the food out." Rick hurried to his room to change. It was nice to get out of his uniform and Rick pulled on a pair of worn blue jeans and a grey t-shirt. It would be nice to relax at home and not to have to go out to get food and whatever Lisa had prepared smelled so much better than the mass produced food in the mess hall.

Rick washed up and came back to the living room/dining room area to find Lisa setting out plates, cups and utensils.

"What can I do to help Lisa?" asked Rick, eager to find out what she had made.

Lisa motioned back to kitchen and pointed out two items ready to go out to the table.

"Can you take these out Rick first? I still have to grab something from the oven."

Rick grabbed the two dishes Lisa indicated. One carried a smothered chicken dish and the other a mixed vegetable sautee. He couldn't wait to try it out and put the dishes on the dining table. He was about to return to the kitchen when Lisa came out with a round pan and a small dish filled with butter.

She placed the two items down and indicated that Rick should sit. He took a seat, taking in the heavenly smell and waited for Lisa to sit.

"It smells so good Lisa, what's in the pan?"

Lisa pulled the cloth covering the pan and said, "Biscuits.. I hope you like them, they are a family recipe, as is the chicken."

Rick stared down at the biscuits in the pan and slowly took one out before taking a huge bite of it. His mouth was already watering from the smell and he wasn't disappointment when he finally got to taste them. A sense of nostalgia hit him as he ate his biscuit and something in the back of his mind came rushing forward.

"Did you used to make these biscuits on the SDF-1, Lisa?" asked Rick as he reached for another biscuit. Lisa had taken a plate and started to serve the chicken with sauce and the vegetables on a plate for him.

"Here you should eat it with the sauce from the chicken, it's divine. " Lisa handed him the plate filled with food and then responded to his question. "Yes, I used to make them all the time, Roy and Claudia loved them and I used to make extra for them. They had a whole freezer full of them at one time and I think Roy tried to rent out someone else's freezer once to store more."

"I remember these. I always wondered where Roy and Claudia got them. I used to eat them all the time when I would visit them on the ship and then one day, there weren't any more. I asked Claudia about it once, but she just said, she couldn't get them anymore. I remember she looked sad about it and when I asked Roy about it later, he asked me not to talk about it. I wish now that I had known that you had made them, I would have told you how much I loved eating them. They reminded me of home and of Earth. I tried so many biscuits trying to find one that recreated the flavor that yours have but was never able to. I'm glad that you are here and able to make these Lisa. "

Lisa didn't know why but she was inordinately pleased with the compliment that Rick gave her on her cooking. She blushed a bit and busied herself by fixing a plate for herself. Rick had waited until she had her food before starting on his own meal. As they ate, Rick couldn't help but compliment her on the meal and informed her it was probably one of the best meals he had eaten in years. He preferred her hearty homestyle cooking to the minimalistic frou frou meals that Minmei always wanted to have and the portion size was right to fill his hunger. They talked about their day and Lisa reviewed with Rick the items that she needed to complete until she could be considered back on active duty.

Just as he was about to help himself to a third piece of chicken, Lisa stopped him, "Oh, I forgot, I made dessert too. It's a strawberry shortcake, would you rather have some of that."

Rick dropped the serving fork that was used to serve the chicken back onto the dish and looked at Lisa in awe "You made dessert too? Is there anything you can't do Lisa, I'm seriously impressed!"

Rick stood up as Lisa got up to retrieve the dessert from the kitchen and helped to clean up and put away the leftover food before they sat down to enjoy their dessert.

As they sat with their dessert and the tea that Rick made to accompany it, Rick decided to let Lisa in on the council's plan. He waited until their was a lull in the conversation and started off, "Colonel Maistroff and I had a chat today."

Lisa looked at him and quirked her right eye at him, "Hmm, interesting… and what did he have to say?"

"Well, it seems that I was right, finding you was the best thing I could have ever done in the eyes of the Council and they would like to throw a dinner and ball in your honor to welcome you home.. In a week." Rick finished his sentence as quickly as possible and wasn't surprised by Lisa's sudden angry response.

"What? How can they do this? A week? What possible reason do they think they need to do this for?" Lisa sputtered, annoyed that her ordeal was to be brought to public light.

"They decided that everyone needed something to celebrate, and that you would be that perfect thing to redirect the public's focus on. I'm sorry Lisa, the Council is insisting." Rick watched as a look of disgust passed Lisa's face.

"Ugh, fine, I'll do it. I know them and it's better to get it over with early, who knows what they would have concocted if I didn't agree now. " Lisa got up to clear their plates, dessert forgotten. "A week doesn't give me much time."

"It's right before we go into our next fold, so it maybe a better time than later. Oh, and a Lt. Graham is going to be interviewing you, she should be contacting you in a day or so. The Council evidently has decided that they don't want to keep your recovery a secret. I'm sorry." Rick paused and then said, "Sue's a good and thorough investigative journalist. You might want to be careful about what you say."

Lisa took a deep breath and smoothed her hair back down and flicked her ponytail back and said, "Thanks for the warning. I'll be ready."


	16. Chapter 16

Lisa sat in a quiet corner of one the smaller empty dining halls, next to the window and partially hidden by a planter box to the rest of the room. Outside the large bay windows, the large expanse of space was clear as far as the eye could see. One of the ship's landing strips was visible below with the landing lights blinking intermittently. It had been a busy two days as Lisa started her training and getting ready for the reception on the weekend.

Miriya had taken Lisa under her wing and they worked on a training schedule to get Lisa back to her full physical strength. It had taken her much longer to run a mile than she had expected and was disappointed in her results. Miriya did not want her to re-injure her ankle and suggested that she take it slow until closer to exam time. They then went on to develop a strength training and core training program for her to start on over the next couple of days.

After the morning exercise, Miriya had taken Lisa to meet a friend of hers, Neela, a dress designer to work on a gown for Lisa instead of going into the city. Lisa had wanted to just wear her dress uniform, but Miriya insisted that Lisa dress up for the occasion and had even had gotten Rick to agree that it would be appropriate in this case.

Miriya had informed Lisa that once word had gotten out about a special dress occasion that was to be announced, there had been crowds at the stores and demands for alterations.

Neela, a former Zentraedi Quadrano pilot, had decided to pursue a different career from fighting and fell in love with creating beautiful clothing was happy to assist her good friend Miriya with a special request for a gown for the honored guest.

They had met at Neela's workshop which was on the outskirts of the city center to get properly outfitted for the reception. Neela first had the woman undress and used a body scanning device to get their exact measurements. Using the scanned image, they were able to apply different styles and materials to the 3D image to try different styles and fabrics for the best look.

It did not take long for Miriya to pick out lavender fit and flare dress with a floral design and a metallic sheen to the material to show off her toned legs. Miriya definitely wanted something special for Lisa and was ready to fight her on the dress selection, as she had heard before from Claudia and the girls that Lisa tended to downplay her assets and dress more conservatively than any young woman in her twenties should. It surprised her when Lisa agreed to one of the more daring designs, an azure blue mermaid style gown, with a pale blue lining that featured a low back. The two women quickly selected accessories and shoes for the dresses and Neela assured them that the dresses would be ready for pick up in the next two days as they would be created via the two 3D printers that Neela had in her warehouse.

Having a dress for the reception checked off her list, the next day, Lisa met with Max and Miriya at the pilot training facilities. Max and Miriya had reviewed with Lisa the differences between the Veritech fighters and the new ones that had been developed and in use for their colonization journey.

Increased firepower, targeting systems, shields and maneuverability enhancements were the core changes to the original design. The engineers had also improved the control panels and comfort of the cabin to decrease pilot fatigue during long patrols and battles. Max was thoroughly impressed with Lisa's knowledge of the original Veritechs and her grasp of the changes that had been made.

Lisa had scolded him once when he had seemed surprised of her knowledge and told him, "Captain Sterling, being a competent pilot and knowledge of the planes and fighters being deployed was a prerequisite to becoming the flight controller on the SDF-1. I had to have intimate knowledge of these fighters jets capabilities in order to do my job. It's not like they would just trust anyone to send you boys out."

Max and Miriya had both laughed at that statement and Max wanted to see how well Lisa really flew, suggested that she acquire first hand knowledge by trying out one of the the flight simulators that were available. Lisa was very enthusiastic to get into the cockpit again and it was not long before she was running through the drills that the pilots completed as part of their basic training. Seeing how easily she had mastered the new controls and her control of the craft, Max intensified the simulation from the control room and started to run her through some of the more advanced pilot simulations. An hour later, a smiling but tired Lisa emerged from the cockpit. Max and Miriya were in discussion when she approached them and with a quick glance at Lisa, Max said loudly, "I don't know Miriya, I think she maybe as good as you."

Lisa just laughed and thanked Max, but Max turned serious and said to Lisa, "I'm not kidding Commander, our pilots don't have real work experience with fighting real enemies. To them it could still all be a game, but I could tell from the way that you were dispatching those enemy ships, that you understand that it's not a game and that there are serious consequences letting one of those enemy fighter pilots get by. I'm incredibly impressed and can't wait to get out there with you in a real Veritech when we get a chance."

The three departed ways and Lisa went to cleanup and change for her interview with Lt. Sue Graham. Lt. Graham had contacted her after she had returned from the dress fitting with Miriya the day before and asked if they could meet to conduct her interview. The lieutenant had pushed to meet at Lisa's quarters but Lisa let her know she felt more comfortable in a more public setting. Sue had arranged for them to meet in one of the smaller dining halls that would be closed for the duration of the interview. Lisa had informed Rick of her plans to meet with Lt. Graham and he had let her know that he would also be meeting with Lt. Graham the next day as well.

Rick had looked as if he had wanted to say more to Lisa about it but decided that he didn't want to color Lisa's view of Lt. Graham prior to the interview. Lisa did some research of her own and read some of Sue's works to get a better feeling for the interviewer. Satisfied that Lt. Graham seemed to avoid sensationalism and wrote with a fair hand, Lisa felt less apprehensive about doing the interview and telling her account of her capture and return.

Sipping on her cup of tea as she waited, Lisa found her thoughts wander to Rick and she wondered what he was doing. She was surprised at how quickly they had seem to establish a routine the last couple days of her stay. Lisa had offered to provide cooking the evening meal as thanks for letting her stay in his quarters and she found a weird sense of normalcy in hearing Rick enter every night around 6pm, to wash up and be ready for a meal around 6:30.

Their dinner conversation seemed to revolve around almost everything and Rick was patient in answering many of Lisa's questions and although she was curious, she refrained from asking any personal questions about his relationships. She had gleaned from the tabloid reports that Rick and Minmei were no longer a couple and that they split was less than acrimonious even though their joint statement filed at the time of breakup indicated a continued love and support for one another. There didn't seem to be anyone serious in Rick's life afterwards and she hadn't observed him in any personal discussions with anyone on the phone or photographic evidence that there was anyone special in his life.

The sound of a shutter quickly going off a couple times is what brought Lisa out of her musings to find herself being saluted to by Lt. Graham.

"Hello, Commander Hayes, I apologize for taking your photo like that, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a great candid shot. I'm Lt. Sue Graham, it's good to meet you."

Lisa stood and smiled at Lt. Graham, who placed her camera down on the table before taking the seat indicated by Commander Hayes.

"It's nice to meet you too, Lt. Graham. I thank you for meeting me here. I am sure you have a lot of questions, shall we get started?"

Sue couldn't believe her luck when she had caught Lisa daydreaming. The thoughtful, pensive, somewhat dreamy look on Lisa's face with the expanse of space behind her would be a beautiful photo, maybe not for the article but good to have nonetheless. Although her clearance had not been cleared to review Lisa's official file, there had been enough in the news at that time for Sue to be able to get enough background on Lisa and her family to use for her article and news broadcast. She had jumped at the chance when her superior had informed her about the celebration and the honoree and thought it was a great way to keep her skills sharp as not a lot had happened over the last six months worth reporting.

Before starting the interview, Lt. Graham took the time to comment on her rescue. "Commander Hayes, let me be one of the first to officially welcome you home. Yours was a story that captivated us for years wondering what your fate had been and I hope to do your story justice. If at anytime you need a break, or need to stop please let me know. I plan to get this out as quickly as possible as news of your return has already been gossipped about."

"Thank you Lt. Graham, please let's go ahead and begin."

With that Sue turned on her video recorder, made a quick introduction and then started on her questions. The interview took over three hours with Sue asking Lisa a variety of questions from her beginnings on the SDF-1, the capture and initial interrogation, the escape of Capt. Hunters and Capt Sterling and Lisa's time in captivity, which is where Sue focused her interview on and the subsequent recovery. While Lisa had no recollections of the recovery since she was in stasis, she referred Sue to speak with Captain Hunter and Commander Zoral of the Velaruse. Lisa noticed through the questioning that Lt. Graham seemed to have quite an interest in Captain Hunter as her many of her questions were around what Captain's Hunter's thoughts were or what he had shared with her about the last years missing, and Lisa's thoughts on him now. Not feeling comfortable with the line of questioning and the seeming innocuous questions around Captain Hunter, Lisa finally had enough and stated, "As I said, previously, you will need to speak with Captain Hunter around these questions as I am not in a position to speak on his thoughts regarding the situation."

Finally getting the hint, Lt. Graham quickly recovered and continued her question on Lisa's future plans. Lisa had not provided any other information than she had given to others and let the journalist know that her immediate plans were to complete the testing to return to duty and then decide from there on what her career path would be. The end of the interview could not come enough for Lisa and internally sighed as Lt. Graham let Lisa know that she was to interview Capt. Hunter the following morning and that after some editing, they would give her and the Captain a quick review of the interview prior to it's being broadcasted on the ship as well as sent back to Earth as well for those who would be interested in the story. With that Lisa returned to Captain Hunter's quarters tired and a little annoyed although she didn't quite know why.

It was late as she entered the living room and was surprised to find Rick sitting on the couch flipping through the channels on the TV. She had rarely seen him turn on the television as he usually finished up some emails after dinner and they would spent a lot of time talking before bed.

"Rick, hello, I hope you weren't waiting up for me." she asked.

Rick turned to Lisa, happy to see her return, even though he knew from the note she left him what her plans had been. "How did it go with Lt. Graham?"

Not really wanting to rehash her interview with Lt. Graham, Lisa sighed and took a seat next to Rick on the couch and just said, "It was fine, really..fairly standard I suppose. I'm pretty sure that Lt. Graham got the basics she needs, I didn't feel like going too indepth with her. She seems to wonder what _you_ think about all this though." Lisa looked at him questioningly and Rick suddenly felt embarrassed and flustered. He didn't know why he felt compelled to confess to something when there was nothing to confess but felt he had to say something.

"Sue and I went out a few times when the Megaroad first launched, but nothing really happened, I wasn't in the right place for a relationship and she seemed to want more than I could give. " Rick didn't know why he felt like he had to explain anything but just felt that he had make sure it was clear to Lisa that he wasn't interested in Lt. Graham.

"Oh I see, I didn't mean to pry, it's just during the interview... well your name came up a lot. I didn't say much and it'll probably come across as I'm not appreciative of everything you've done for me, but I hope you know that I am truly thankful for all your help Rick." As she spoke, she touched Rick's arm that was closest to her to emphasize her heartfulness.

A jolt of awareness ran through Rick where Lisa's warm hand rested on his arm, her face upturned towards his showed the earnestness in her sincerity, while her green eyes searched his for confirmation of his understanding of the situation. It was the first time that he acknowledged how much impact Lisa had on his life and he sought to alleviate her concern.

Placing his hand over hers and squeezing hers lightly Rick responded, "I understand Lisa, don't worry about Sue. If she probes tomorrow into it, I'll do my best to shut down that line of questioning as well."

"Thank you Rick, I wanted to let you know about it so you can be prepared when you speak to her tomorrow."

The two spent a few more minutes chatting before Lisa yawned and Rick encouraged her to head to bed. He watched as she headed to her bedroom and thought about how he needed to act and respond in his interview with Sue. He didn't want any speculation on Sue's part about any type of romantic relationship between him and Lisa.

He didn't know what woke him up, but Rick was jolted from a deep sleep. Not recalling any type of dream or hearing any noise, Rick tried to calm his beating heart and thought a glass of water would help cool him down. As he opened the door to the room and headed towards the kitchen, a low anguished cry stalled his steps. He glanced at Lisa's door and wondered if she was okay and tapped lightly on the door. Not getting a response, Rick called out her name and at the same time, heard another sob coming from inside. Concerned, Rick decided to open the door and check to ensure that Lisa was okay.

A low light was on in the room, and Rick could see Lisa laying on the bed, she seemed restless, her head moving back and forth and held her arm clutched tightly against her body. Hearing her distress again, Rick moved closer to the bed. He called her name lightly, but recognized the symptoms of the night terrors that Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu had mentioned that Lisa didn't seem to realize she experienced.

A sudden scream by Lisa followed by a some sort of body spasm, was enough for Rick. Fearing that she would fall out of the bed given that there were no guard rails attached to the bed as at the hospital, Rick used his body to fill the space and sat at the edge of the bed. Not knowing if he should wake her or not, he tried calming her down by letting her know that she was safe.

"Shhh, Lisa, it's okay, you're safe now. You are back with your friends and safe on the Megaroad, It's okay, it's okay."

He noted that his voice seemed to calm her down for a bit and that her head seemed turn toward his voice. Continuing to try and get her to calm down subconsciously, Rick, caught one of her hands in his as she tried to strike out at whatever demon was chasing her. The strong clasp of his hand and the reassurance that she was okay, seemed to get Lisa through the worst of the attack.

It was a few more minutes before Lisa seemed to calm down and breathe and sleep normally. Rick knew that there was no more reason to stay but for some reason couldn't seem to leave. As if sensing he was there, Lisa had turned her body to her face his and the low light of the room showed the fatigue on Lisa's face.

Just a few more moments, Rick thought to himself, arguing with himself that it was his duty to make sure she was okay, but as he glanced down on her face, he couldn't ignore the jolt to his heart. He wondered why it wasn't more of a surprise to him, but knew he had been denying it all along. Rick was falling in love with Lisa.

* * *

AN: I'm really sorry I haven't update in so long, Thank you for continuing to remind me and push me, I haven't given up on the story, just been really busy with work the last year.


	17. Chapter 17

Rick swirled the amber liquid in his glass absently, lost in thought, wondering what the rest of the day was going to bring. He wasn't the type to drink while on duty, but after the day he had, he felt he deserved it.

The revelation regarding his growing feelings for Lisa and the fierce protectiveness he felt over her as he watched her sleep, was not a peaceful feeling for Rick. He felt agitated and restless and unsure what do with the feelings he was experiencing. It had taken all his self control last night to leave Lisa's room and not just gather her into his arms as he wanted to.

He wondered if his feelings were true and not just overwhelming relief from finding Lisa after all this time, combined with their forced closeness as they shared his quarters during her recovery. Rick, no longer the type to give into whim, needed time to make sense of his feelings. He had to admit that it was nice to come home to someone at the end of the day, something that he had never had before, but also knew that it wasn't just coming home to someone, it was the _who_ he was coming home to.

Not knowing what to do with the various thoughts running through his head, he had left his quarters early that morning, not wanting to have to deal with his newfound emotions while interacting with Lisa.

After a good long workout and a few hours of focused work, Rick felt prepared to deal with the interview with Sue and her probing questions. As Lt. Graham setup her video camera for the interview, Rick mentally reminded himself to not show any of the feelings that he was starting to feel for Lisa. It resulted in a less than satisfactory interview for Lt. Graham as his answers were somewhat terse, sparse and most a recitation of facts of the Commander's recovery process.

Sue knowing that Captain Hunter was a bit stoic, was surprised at the unemotional responses that he provided to her questions. It was like interviewing a robot. Brief interviews with Dr. Lang, Dr. Wu and even Max had been more emotionally charged. Dr. Lang had tears in his eyes when speaking of Lisa's recovery and lapsed into memories of her as a child. Max, also spoke of Lisa's bravery during their capture and mentioned that him and Rick would often reminisce about Rick's rocky past with the Lt. Commander and their endless speculation on her fate.

Sue, frustrated at the lack of reaction from the captain and needing something more than Captain Hunter was giving her, decided to stir things up a bit and refocused her questions around their capture on Dolza's ship. Rick relaxed a bit more as he recounted their experiences lulling him a bit as he recollected that time. Seeing Rick starting to relax, Sue sprang her question on him, "Is it true, that you and Commander Hayes were asked to demonstrate a kiss for the Zentraedi?"

Sue had to hold back a smirk as Captain Hunter, suddenly became more engaged and demanded in a terse voice, "Where did you hear that from?"

"Well is it true?" asked Lt. Graham. "How did you feel having to kiss a superior officer? You were only twenty at the time right? I heard that you didn't want to do and that she had to command you to do it, is that right?"

Rick held his anger at bay, the information about the kiss was only in one classified report and its importance had been downplayed over the firepower that Dolza had displayed. The kiss wasn't something that Rick wanted to revisit at this time and said coolly, "I don't know where you obtained that information, but I don't feel it's very relevant to your story"

Lt. Graham, sensing that she was onto something, interrupted Captain Hunter. "I disagree, it's very relevant. From what I can gather you and Commander Hayes had a somewhat tumultuous work relationship, she sacrificed herself for her squad, and miraculously Commander Hayes is recovered nine years later. I think our viewers and history would want to know how things have changed between the two of you, especially since your roles are reversed and you are now Commander's Hayes superior officer."

At that, Captain Hunter snapped, "I have nothing but the utmost respect for Commander Hayes. I realize now after years of experience that Commander Hayes's advice back then were only the concerns of an officer for her squad. I am ecstatic at Commander Hayes's recovery and will do everything in my power to ensure that she adapts to her new situation, and I hope that everyone else will do the same. I have no additional comments at this time."

Lt. Graham wondered if she had pushed Rick too far too quickly understood that the interview was effectively over. Nodding her head as a sign of understanding that Captain Hunter would no longer entertain any questions, she stood and walked over to the camera to shut if off.

Captain Hunter had effectively dismissed her and he already had turned his attention to his computer screen, reviewing some files that were displayed.

Not able to give up quite yet, Lt. Graham, asked quietly, "One last thing Captain Hunter, do you know where Commander Hayes quarters are? I haven't been able to find her on any of the directories and I only get a voicemail box."

Without taking his eyes off his screen, Captain Hunter replied, "Commander Hayes quarters are unlisted and undisclosed until she returns to active duty."

Sue knowing that she had crossed a line somehow with the Captain, finished packing her carry bag. She knew she couldn't leave things they way they were even though and paused as she was about to leave his office.

"Captain Hunter?"

Rick looked up, he had been very aware that Sue was still in his office and tried to feign that whatever was on his computer was more important than speaking to her.

"Yes, Lt. Graham?"

"I wanted to say that I hope you didn't take my questioning the wrong way. Your answers, well were a bit boring and trite, I was trying to find show you in a more humanizing light. I just thought that it would be more interesting to our viewers and to our history books to understand your personal feelings about Commander Hayes's recovery. History isn't always about facts, it's very much about the people and the decisions and feelings behind their actions. I hope you understand and won't let this affect our friendship."

Rick knew that Sue was right and gave her a slight smile. "I understand, I apologize if I came off a bit boring but I don't want there to be any undue speculation about Commander Hayes. It might lead people to believe that there is something going on where this is not." Knowing that he had to throw Lt. Graham something, Rick make a quick decision and asked, "Will you be attending the celebration Sue? If so, I hope that you will save me a dance?"

Rick knew from Sue's bright grin that he had made the right move and could hear it in her voice, "Of course Rick, I will be happy to make time for you. I can't wait to see you there."

* * *

If the interview wasn't enough to ruin his day, Max's visit to his office later that afternoon didn't make it any better.

It was their weekly meeting to review the the pilots and the squad's training progress and battle readiness, and as they completed the review, Max stood from the chair and took a long stretch and said, "I'm glad that's over. Anyway, how did your interview with Sue go? I'm sure that had to be interesting."

Rick not really wanting to discuss it, replied cautiously, "it was fine, but you know Sue, she seems to be able to dig dirt out of nowhere." Rick was reluctant to share, but continued, "Sue knew about the kiss, on Dolza's ship… she started asking questions and well I got annoyed."

Max chuckled, "Man, I wish I could have seen that first kiss, I used to hear about it from Ben and how much Commander Hayes didn't want to kiss him. He kept asking me why not him. "What's wrong with me? I don't smell bad, other women seem to like me." it was sure funny to hear him complain."

Rick chuckled a bit remembering that Ben used to bother him about it too. Then he recounted that he had promised to dance with Sue at the celebration and sighed and told Max about it. "I had to make it up to her somehow, who knows what she might have written in the article if I didn't. I mean I know that she's supposed to be subjective, but I don't want to be on her bad side."

Max nodded in agreement. "Miriya says that Sue's still into you, so be careful."

"What? Why? I mean we only went out a couple times, we didn't even hold hands."

"Well, just be careful, Rick…", wanting to change the subject Max smiled and said, " Oh hey, did you know that Lisa can really fly? She's a damn good pilot, she was in the simulators earlier for practice and it was amazing watching her. Some of the boys were impressed too. Jack and Anthony were all over here after she got out of the simulator. They were flirting with her pretty hard too.." Max laughed a bit as he recalled some of the lines the young men tried on the pretty commander.

Rick frowned and not wanting to hear more, interrupted "Max, I thought I asked you to watch out for her, she's still recovering, she had a rough night sleeping and she doesn't need a lot of stress with explaining her situation to new people"

Max, surprised at the sternness in which Rick delivered his lecture, held out his hands, palm up to back Rick off, "Calm down, I didn't know Lisa didn't have a good night. She seemed fine and didn't seem bothered by Jack or Anthony. At first they assumed she was still at the academy and that is why they had never met her, but when they realized she was a Commander, they gave her the proper respect. They thought she was just assigned to one of the other Zentraedi ships prior to this and was finally just doing a rotation on the Megaroad."

"In fact, Lisa actually told them the truth of who she was and where she came from and when I asked her about it afterwards, she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "the article is going to come out tomorrow anyway and I know that there are already some rumors flying around about me, so why not get the chance to tell my story myself. They will hear it again at the celebration event, when they officially welcome me home."

"Rick just huffed a bit in annoyance and said, "well just keep Jack and Anthony away from her."

Max realizing that Rick was acting weird, just threw up his hands. "Rick, I know you feel guilt over Lisa's loss all this time, but you can't be overprotective of her. Sure she needs a bit of help right now adjusting, but she's incredibly smart and capable of getting back on her own two feet. Anyway, after what she told Jack and Anthony, they asked her to be part of their training squad and she agreed, and really I see nothing wrong with that. She's going to need to find her own way and make new friends."

Rick said nothing, he knew Max was right and he wasn't ready to let his friend know about his feelings until he was sure himself and whether or not Lisa could possibly return those feelings..

"Anyway, Rick, do you want to go out and grab dinner together?"

Rick, who was looking forward to going home to see Lisa, frowned again slightly and said, "It's been a long day with the interview and all, I just want to head back to quarters."

"But you have to eat…" persisted Max.

Rick smiled a bit and said, "well.. Lisa's been cooking lately and I'm sure she prepared something."

Max made an O shape with his mouth and said, "I totally forgot to tell you. Miriya took Lisa into the city. She said that Lisa needed some things and it couldn't wait and that I was supposed to tell you."

Rick, kept his disappointment inside and said, "Oh, okay, thanks for letting me know, I think I will still head back to my quarters though after I finish up here."

After Max left, Rick checked his personal communication device and was pleased to see that Lisa had left him a text informing him of her change in plans.

"Rick, I'm sorry I won't be back in time to make dinner tonight. Miriya insists on taking me into the city and I can't say no, especially after all that she's done for me, please don't wait up, Max warned me to that Miriya has been looking for a new shopping buddy."

Rick sent her a quick message back acknowledging receipt of her message and told her to have a "good time"

Knowing that there was no rush to return to his empty quarters, Rick decided to pour himself a bit of the brandy gifted to him by Admiral Gloval and went through his remaining emails. When he received a call from Zoral on the Velaruse, Rick wanted to reject the call. He was still a bit upset with Zoral for micronizing himself and introducing himself to Lisa without asking him first, and he didn't really know how to respond when Zoral seemed genuinely perplexed when Rick questioned him on his motives.

Collecting himself, Rick steadied himself and accepted the call with forced cheerfulness, "Commander Zoral, it's nice to hear from you, what can I do for you?"

"Thank you Captain Hunter, I heard from Dr. Lang and Dr. Wu that there was going to be a celebration tomorrow for Commander Hayes and wanted to know if I could come aboard the Megaroad and attend. I have not yet resized myself and I think it would be a perfect time for a visit and we can discuss the next fold as well."

Rick felt some unease about the request and not having a good reason to say no and Zoral spoke the truth about an overdue visit, Rick agreed to Zoral's request and made arrangements with the crew for his stay. Not wanting any more surprises, Rick left his ready room and wondered if he had cursed himself earlier when he asked what else the day could bring.

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AN: Thank you all for the warm messages and reviews, they are very appreciated!


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